HUD Announces New Funding to Address Youth Homelessness
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made two announcements related to ending youth homelessness: $51.1 million in Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grants awarded to 38 communities and a $72 million funding opportunity for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP).
These first-of-their-kind YHSI grants focus on systemic change to either improve or create response systems for youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness. These grants fund projects that:
- Create and build capacity for Youth Action Boards
- Establish regional committees to direct efforts across multiple systems, including education, justice, and child welfare
- Collect and use data on at-risk youth and youth experiencing homelessness
- Develop strong leaders within a community
- Improve the coordination, communication, operation, and administration of homeless assistance projects to better serve youth, including prevention and diversion strategies
All YHDP communities establish Youth Action Boards, where young people with lived experience of homelessness lead the community effort to design, implement, and improve programs and policies to end youth homelessness in their communities, with an emphasis on equitable strategies to assist the most vulnerable youth, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and youth with disabilities.
YHDP applications are due August 29.