Media

Celebrating 30 Years of Comprehensive Care with DESC’s SAGE Team

SAGE Case Manager Kayla Moody engaging with a SAGE client.

This year, we’re celebrating 30 years of our Support, Advocacy, Growth + Employment (SAGE) team — a program that recognizes that to view a client clinically, you must view them holistically. From therapy to medication management to peer counseling, SAGE considers every client’s physical, emotional, medical, social, and spiritual needs.

Over the past three decades, we’ve been able to connect thousands of people to stable homes, fulfilling jobs, long-term care, and a meaningful community.

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Beyond Four Walls: Housing First as a Foundation for Recovery and Stability

Recent criticism overlooks the proven effectiveness of strategies like Housing First and harm reduction in ending homelessness. 

Girl setting up apartment for permanent supportive housing

Since 1979, DESC has been a recognized national leader in implementing innovative and cost-effective strategies that end chronic homelessness.  One proven strategy is Housing First — the approach that offers immediate, low-barrier, and long-term stable housing paired with comprehensive behavioral health, medical, and support services to help people achieve lasting stability. 

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A New Tax Benefit for Supporters of DESC – A Universal Charitable Deduction 

Beginning in 2026, many people who support DESC may be eligible for a tax benefit when making a donation, a benefit that many donors have not been able to claim in recent years. Even if you take the standard deduction on your tax return, you may still be able to receive a deduction for your giving! 

What does this mean? 

If you make a donation to DESC, you may be able to reduce your taxable income and lower the amount of taxes you owe. Individuals may be able to deduct up to $1,000 in donations, while married couples filing jointly may be able to deduct up to $2,000. 

Details include: 

  • Individuals may be able to deduct up to $1,000 in donations. 
  • Married couples filing jointly may be able to deduct up to $2,000 in donations. 
  • Eligible contributions generally include cash, check, credit card, electronic transfer, and payroll deduction gifts made directly to qualified charitable organizations like DESC. 

This new opportunity can allow more people to support DESC’s mission while also receiving a potential tax benefit. For donors, it means your generosity may go a little further by helping your neighbors while potentially reducing the taxes you owe. 

Whether you make a one-time donation, give monthly, or have supported DESC for years, your contribution helps ensure that people experiencing homelessness have access to housing, healthcare, and the support they need to build healthier, more stable lives.  

This new tax benefit makes it easier for more people to be part of that lasting impact. 

As always, we encourage you to consult your financial or tax advisor to learn how this new law may apply to your individual circumstances. 

Have questions? Feel free to reach out to gifts@desc.org 

Notes about Planned Giving: 

While the Universal Charitable Deduction could create a new opportunity for you and your current giving, learn more about the many ways they can support DESC’s mission over time. For those interested in making an even greater impact, planned gifts can help create a lasting legacy for future generations.

Learn more about Planned Giving here.

Housing First Linked to Drop in Jail Bookings in New King County Data 

Jail bookings dropped by 27% in the first year for those in permanent supportive housing, according to King County’s Department of Community and Human Services 

DESC's Birch Grove, a permanent supportive housing location in Lake City.
A studio apartment at DESC’s Birch Grove, our newest permanent supportive housing location, in Lake City.

In a new report by the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), Housing First was linked to a 27% decrease in jail bookings in just the first year. 

The analysis, which looked at 5,371 residents enrolled in adult-serving permanent supportive housing programs between 2021-2025, also found that 81% of individuals who had a jail-booking in the year prior to their enrollment in permanent supportive housing saw a personal reduction in the number of bookings after enrollment into the program. 

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One Year of Stability, Recreation, and Connection at DESC’s STAR Center 

This non-congregate, innovative shelter is finding ways to support residents with behavioral healthcare, a place to sleep, and enriching activities  

A nurse takes a client's blood pressure at DESC's STAR Center.
Xochitl Rojas, an on-site registered nurse at DESC’s STAR Center, takes a resident’s blood pressure.   

One year ago, DESC opened the Stability Through Access and Resources (STAR) Center. This service-rich, non-congregate shelter was designed to support adults facing chronic homelessness and complex behavioral health challenges by connecting them to essential care, wraparound services, and a place to sleep. 

Offering a crucial bridge from the streets to stability, this shelter provides on-site behavioral healthcare, housing navigation, and treatment for addiction, as well as hot meals, showers, and semi-private stays. In 2025, STAR served a total of 321 guests. 

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DESC Responds to 2026 Point-in-Time Count Findings 

DESC

Press Advisory — June 24, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Media Contact:

Jessica Schreindl 
Senior Manager of Communications 
Downtown Emergency Service Center 
jschreindl@desc.org | (206) 380-2647

DESC Responds to 2026 Point-in-Time Count Findings 

SEATTLE, Wash. — June 24, 2026 — The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) yesterday released the results of its 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, an annual snapshot of homelessness in King County. 

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