A Place to Call Home: Inside the Opening of the Booker House in Federal Way
The Booker House is part of Health Through Housing, King County’s regional response to chronic homelessness—an initiative grounded in a simple but proven idea: housing is health care. By pairing permanent housing with on-site health care and supportive services, Health Through Housing creates the stability people need to recover, rebuild, and move forward.
Operated by the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS), the Booker House offers 24/7 staffing and individualized services shaped around residents’ goals. Supports include case management, connections to physical and behavioral health care, food security, financial empowerment and workforce development, transportation assistance, and community-building activities that foster belonging and long-term stability.
Since launching in 2021, Health Through Housing has delivered strong, measurable outcomes. Ninety-five percent of permanent supportive housing residents have remained stably housed or moved to another permanent home. Residents also experience fewer emergency room visits and hospital stays—showing that housing not only changes lives but also reduces strain on crisis systems.
Further, more than 95% of Health Through Housing residents have established connections in their communities. At the Booker House, 65% of residents will be from local referrals and outreach programs based in Federal Way.