1. Policy Advisor | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Youth Homelessness: Developing an Array of Models for Ending Youth Homelessness
Sarah Hunter
Policy Advisor | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Updated: October 25, 2016

2. USICH Coordinated Community Response—Ending Youth Homelessness
Every community will have a systematic response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible or is otherwise rare, brief, and non- recurring.
Every community will have the capacity to:
Quickly identify and engage people at-risk of and experiencing homelessness;
Intervene to prevent the loss of housing and divert people from entering the homelessness services system;
Provide immediate access to low-barrier shelter and crisis services while permanent stable housing and services are being secured; and,
When homelessness does occur, quickly connect people to housing assistance and services.

4. Coordinated Community Response, Cont.
Build the capacity of local communities to implement the components of a coordinated and comprehensive community response
Prevention, Identification and Early Intervention
Coordinated Entry and Assessment
Emergency and Crisis Response
Tailored Services and Housing Solutions
Communities make an array of housing options that are appropriate for the developmental stage of the young people you encounter, maintaining youth choice and housing first principles

5. New Guidebooks
<- Click on these to access them online

6. Primary Prevention Family Engagement Interventions
Improve Foster Care Transitions
Improve Juvenile Justice or Adult Correctional Systems Transitions
Improve School Connections

7. Identification and Early Intervention
Street Outreach
Go where youth are- rely on youth to help
Build trust
Trauma-informed care
Experience working with LGBTQ youth
Drop-In Centers
Location, location, location
Culture should be safe and welcoming
Peer support and activities
Connection to services and housing when ready and appropriate
Don’t forget family engagement
Traditional Housing/ Family Engagement
Generally preferred when a family-based intervention is safe and appropriate
Cultural context of the family dynamics
Balance family systems and homelessness expertise
Aftercare
Positive connections for the long-term, even if not a placement option

8. Emergency/Crisis Response
Youth Shelters and Emergency Services
Safety and harm reduction
Don’t forget family engagement
Takes context of what youth want and need and value
Focus on Transition to Stable Housing
Should be designed to be an immediate, short- term intervention
Host Homes
Youth-driven matches with families/homes
Host recruitment
Consider supporting hosts with funding and/or services
Positive youth development approach
Can be a flexible model
Should consider how to create formal partnerships
Transitional Housing
Variety of housing configurations- congregate, scattered site
Individualized and flexible service delivery
Build permanent connections
Exit/Transition Planning
Youth choice

9. Tailored Housing and Services Pt. 1
Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)
Landlord buy-in, recruitment, and coaching
Use a housing first approach
Intensive and flexible case management – may last longer
Bridge to living independently
Non-time-limited Supportive Housing
Appropriate for highest need youth
Staff trained in trauma- informed care and harm reduction
Services individualized and paced to meet youth where they are
Foster a “moving on” culture for youth who are ready
Establish formal operating agreements between service providers and property managers/owners
Project or tenant based
Non-time-limited Affordable Housing
Landlord buy-in, recruitment, and coaching
Voucher preferences
Multi-family development
Sometimes paired with community college leadership or other education opportunities
Foster a “moving on” culture for youth who are ready

10. Sarah Hunter Sarah. e. hunter@hud
Sarah Hunter For more information, see assistance/resources-for-homeless-youth/