WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $51.1 million in Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) Grants to 38 communities across 26 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. HUD has also announced a $72 million funding opportunity for the FY 2023 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) and supportive services programs. These services include rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, host homes, and wrap-around services like education, health, and workforce support to help youth secure and maintain housing. The announcement was made by HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, Marion McFadden, alongside local and tribal leaders in Bemidji, Minnesota.
“Ending youth homelessness requires a full community effort with support from all our partners,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “HUD’s YHDP and YHSI grants provide essential funding for communities to tackle this issue directly and help build seamless systems for youth to find stability, opportunity, and success.”
The YHSI grants, the first of their kind, are focused on systemic change to improve or create response systems for youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness. These grants will fund projects that:
- Establish and build capacity for Youth Action Boards.
- Create regional committees to coordinate efforts across multiple systems, including education, justice, and child welfare.
- Collect and utilize data on at-risk youth and those experiencing homelessness.
- Develop strong community leaders.
- Enhance the coordination, communication, operation, and administration of homeless assistance projects to better serve youth, including prevention and diversion strategies.
The primary goal of the YHSI grants is to create a more seamless and coordinated care system for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These grants aim to improve the identification of youth in need and streamline access to available services. By helping communities build strong, resilient, and equitable homelessness response systems, YHSI grants reduce silos and break down barriers for youth in crisis. Recognizing the need for systemic change beyond individual communities, HUD has encouraged statewide or cross-community project proposals to emphasize the importance of coordination across regions.
“HUD and our partners have been listening to homeless youth across the country who face housing insecurity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary McFadden. “We’ve heard their frustration and confusion in navigating the various agencies and services available. This funding will help communities create a more seamless and coordinated system of care, improving the identification of youth in need and simplifying service navigation.”
The FY23 YHDP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports coordinated community approaches in select areas, offering direct assistance for tailored housing and services interventions for youth experiencing homelessness. This community planning approach aligns with the December 2022 “All In” plan by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, guiding communities to design solutions that match their specific needs and emphasize creating equitable strategies for vulnerable youth, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and youth with disabilities. All YHDP communities establish Youth Action Boards, where young people with lived experience of homelessness lead efforts to design, implement, and improve programs and policies to end youth homelessness in their communities.
For more information, read the original press release from: https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_24_140