This year, King County awarded all applicants for the 2025 Human Services Bus Ticket Program (HSBTP). Managed by the Housing and Stability division in the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and in partnership with King County Metro, HSBTP provided full funding for all 107 requests received, totaling over $3.4 million. Food banks, transitional housing providers, and tribal governments across the region are among the recipients this year. 

Also known as the bus ticket program, the HSBTP is open to all non-profit entities and government agencies serving people experiencing homelessness and/or low-income individuals in King County.  Awards help reduce barriers to public transportation by providing discounted King County Metro and Link Light Rail tickets. These discounted tickets help connect people to important services and supports for overall housing stability and wellness. Examples include transportation access to food and economic assistance programs, family support services, education and job training, employment, behavioral health appointments, and legal assistance. 

“Peer Washington is so grateful to be a distributor of King County Human Services bus tickets. The ability to connect our members to food, shelter, treatment, medical appointments, and lessen the barriers of bettering their lives cannot be overstated,” said Joshua Wallace, CEO and President of Peer Washington. 

“The King County Human Services Bus ticket program has been an invaluable resource for the families in our transitional housing program. All the families in our program have come from being literally homeless and are working on goals to become stable and return to permanent housing,” said Ann Allen, Executive Director of St. Stephen Housing Association. “Often these families do not have another viable means of transportation besides public transportation and the HSBTP ensures that they can get to work, appointments, school and other important activities. It allows the families in our program to have opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them because of the cost of transportation. This frees up money for them to spend on other essential needs like food, rent, utilities and children’s needs, which makes a huge difference in their ability to stabilize.  We are so grateful to King County for supporting our program in this way!” 

For more information about the bus ticket program and how to apply for the next funding round, visit the HSBTP webpage.