What Works to End Youth
Homelessness: What We Know Now
NAEHCY 27th Annual Conference- 2015
Sunday, November 15 from 10:00 – 11:15 am
Darla Bardine, JD
Amy Louttit, JD
Executive Director
Public Policy Associate
National Network for Youth
www.nn4youth.org
National Network for Youth (NN4Y)
NN4Y envisions a world where vulnerable youth have a
safety net everywhere they turn—creating positive and
strong communities one youth at a time.
• Collaboration- Connection to other providers and
information about innovative and promising community
practices
• Knowledge- provide timely and relevant information to
increase capacity of communities to serve youth and
families
• Solutions- craft solutions to address issues identified
• Education- educate federal policy makers and
provide federal policy information to providers
SUMMARY
• What Works to End Youth Homelessness
– Youth Are Unique
– Youth-Centric Service Continuum
– Outcomes to Measure Success
– Necessary Components
– Community Planning
– Recommendations
• Federal Policy Updates & Action Needed
• Partner with NN4Y
PATHWAYS TO
HOMELESSNESS FOR YOUTH
Contributing
Factors
Youth Fall
Through the
Cracks of
These Systems
Behavioral &
Mental Health
Education
Juvenile
Justice
Child Welfare
YOUTH ARE UNIQUE
• Youth are still developing
• Enter homelessness with little to no work
experience
• Often forced to leave their education prior to
completion
• Experience high levels of victimization
• Often enter homelessness without life skills
• Usually are negotiating ongoing complicated
relationships with their family
OVERALL GOAL
• Youth and families are able to access what
they need when they need it.
WHAT YOUTH EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS NEED
• Family reconnection services when safe and
appropriate
• Housing (length of time will vary)
• Youth-focused services
• Education- including K-12 and access to higher
education
• Workforce entry programs & job search help
• Health care: mental, physical, behavioral
• Permanent (re)connections to caring adults
YOUTH-CENTRIC SERVICE
CONTINUUM
Staff of
Programs
Targeted to
Youth
Health
Housing
Food
Workforce
Development
Services
Education
(K-12,
higher ed)
Income
Linkages
Between
Systems
YOUTH-CENTRIC SERVICE
CONTINUUM
Prevention
Crisis & Early
Intervention
Longer-term
Housing with
Support
Services
YOUTH-CENTRIC SERVICE
CONTINUUM
• Need investment from federal, state, local
governments and private
• Youth-centric system to:
– Prevent homelessness
– Decrease reoccurrence of homelessness episodes
– Provide youth-appropriate housing and services
• Youth-Centric system should be:
– Responsive to the unique needs of youth
– Allow flexibility among “parts” of the system
– Expect some youth to exit and re-enter multiple times
PREVENTION
A. Prevention to connect youth and families to
services before a youth runs away or is
ejected from their home
B. Prevent youth from exiting systems to
homelessness
Drivers of Youth Homelessness
•
•
•
•
•
Societal
Structures
Systems
Failures
Poverty
Racism
Homophobia
Discrimination
Violence
• Child Welfare
• Juvenile
Justice/Criminal
Justice
• Mental Health
• Family
Homelessness
Family and
Youth Crisis
• Violence:
o Community
o Inter-familial
o Inter-personal
• Childhood Sexual
Abuse
• Familial rejection
• Criminal Justice
Involvement
• Trauma & Toxic
Stress
Societal Responses
Reduce
Racism
Increase
Acceptance
of LGBT
Reduce
Poverty
Reduce Family
Violence
Decrease
Discrimination
FYSB RHY
Programs
Societal Responses System Reform
Reduce
Racism
Increase
Acceptance
of LGBT
Reduce
Poverty
Reduce Family
Violence
Decrease
Discrimination
FYSB RHY
Programs
Juvenile/
Criminal
Justice
Child
Welfare
Physical
& Mental
Health
Family
Homelessness
Societal Responses System Reform
Family Interventions
Reduce
Racism
Increase
Acceptance
of LGBT
Reduce
Poverty
Reduce Family
Violence
Decrease
Discrimination
FYSB RHY
Programs
Juvenile/
Criminal
Justice
Child
Welfare
Physical,
Mental,
Behavioral
Health
Family
Homelessness
Schoolbased
support
Child Abuse
Prevention
Family
Support
Services
Communitybased
support
Behavioral &
Mental
Health Care
Societal Responses System Reform
Family Interventions
Reduce
Poverty
Juvenile/
Criminal
Justice
Schoolbased
support
Reduce
Racism
Child Abuse
Prevention
Family
Support
Services
Family
Homelessness
Communitybased
support
Decrease
Discrimination
Mental
Health
Behavioral &
Mental
Health Care
Child
Welfare
Increase
Acceptance
of LGBT
EARLY & CRISIS
INTERVENTION
A. Outreach to connect youth to services before
experience homelessness and after a youth is
homeless (school personnel are key “firstresponders”)
B. Drop-in centers to engage youth and link to
community resources
C. Shelter provides an important first step off
the street
D. Family engagement and reunification
HOUSING & SUPPORT
SERVICES
A. Youth-appropriate housing programs to build
independent living skills
B. Case management to improve wellness &
decision-making
C. (Re-) connection to education, including
higher education, to increase future income
earning capability
D. Workforce development to enable youth to
compete in the job market
SERVICE FAMEWORKS
This system response should be:
A. Culturally competent
B. Trauma-informed
C. Utilize positive youth development
D. Take into account the unique needs of LGBT,
trafficked and systems-involved young people
Program Level Snapshots
OUTCOMES OF YOUTHCENTRIC CONTINUUM
A. Stable Housing
B. Permanent Connections to Caring and
Supportive Adults
C. Education, Training and Employment
D. Health and Social-Emotional Well-Being
NECESSARY COMPONENTS
TO CREATE YOUTH-CENTRIC
SYSTEM
• Needs-based investment in youth-targeted
services and housing
• Access to programs for youth when they need itrequires eliminating existing barriers
• Local leadership and strategic planning
• Collaboration across agencies so that each system
and program does their part to address the
distinct needs of youth and young adults
CREATE A COMMUNITY PLAN TO
END YOUTH HOMELENSSNESS AND
TRACK SUCCESS
1. Convene a Community-Wide Working Group
2. Conduct a Community Needs Assessment
3. Create a Measureable Plan:
– Define Community Goals
– Establish Outcomes at Multiple Levels (individual, sector,
program, community and societal)
– Create Time-limited Benchmarks
– Recommendations and Strategies to Increase Federal, State,
Local, Philanthropic, and Corporate Investments and
Partnerships
4. Update Plan, Making Adjustments Based on
Progress Made and Lessons Learned
RECOMMENDED
INVESTMENTS
• Prioritize, align, and increase investment in:
– Prevention and early intervention
– Housing and services that are youth-centric
– Education and workforce development
– Continued research, development of
assessment tools, analysis of existing data, and
improve data collection
DOWNLOAD WHAT
WORKS PUBLICATION
Download the full report
and other publications
on our website:
www.nn4youth.org/polic
y-advocacy/fact-sheetand-issue-brief
The Runaway and Homeless Youth and
Trafficking Prevention Act, S262/HR1779
• The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act “expired” in
2013 so it needs to be reauthorized- updated and
pass through both houses of U.S. Congress
• S. 262 introduced in Senate on January 27, 2015 by
Senators Leahy (D-VT), Collins (R-ME), Ayotte (RNH), Booker (D-NJ)
– Current has 3 Republican Cosponsors and 30
Democratic Cosponsor
• H.R. 1779 introduced April 15, 2015 by
Representative’s Reichert (R-WA) and Yarmuth (DKY)
The Runaway and Homeless Youth and
Trafficking Prevention Act, S262/HR1779
Makes updates to Runaway and Homeless Youth
Act (RHYA) programs:
• Includes new provisions to combat trafficking and
discrimination
• Increases the length of stays in Basic Centers from 21
to 30 days.
• Requires RHYA grantees to assist youth with
completing the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA)
• SENATE BILL ONLY: Maintains funding for programs
at $165 million & adds $2 million for the
National Prevalence Study
The Runaway and Homeless Youth and
Trafficking Prevention Act (RHYTPA):
Action Steps
1. Sign Org. Letter of Support: tinyurl.com/RHYA2015
2. Invite House/Senate Representatives to visit your program.
HOUSE
3. Call your U.S. Representative and ask them to cosponsor
H.R. 1779
4. Send an email to your U.S. Representatives by putting in
your zip code: bit.ly/RHYNeedHousing
SENATE
5. Call your U.S. Senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 262
6. Send an email to your Senators by putting
in your zip code: tinyurl.com/passRHYTPA
The Runaway and Homeless Youth and
Trafficking Prevention Act (RHYTPA):
Action Steps
7. In April, we had a vote on RHYTPA that received a majority
of votes, but was 4 short of the 60 votes required. All
Democrats and Independents voted for RHYTPA and these
10 Republicans:
• Paul (KY)
• Collins (ME) (cosponsor)
• Portman (OH)
• Ayotte (NH) (cosponsor)
• Murkowski (AK) (cosponsor) • Kirk (IL)
• Heller (NV)
• Sullivan (AK)
• Capito (WV)
• Toomey (PA)
8. We need four more “Yes” votes & are pushing for another
Senate vote opportunity this Fall
FY2016 Appropriations Status
SENATE
Labor, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies
• RHYA: $113 million + $2 million for national study
• EHCY: $65 million
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
• $40 million to youth homelessness strategies
• Report language
• $100 million increase in HUD CoC
• $20 million for FUP vouchers
HOUSE
Labor, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies
• RHYA: $114 million
• EHCY: $65 million
FY2016 Appropriations: Action Steps
SENATE & HOUSE
1. Call your US Representatives at (202) 224-3121
2. Email you US Representatives
ASK FOR:
Labor, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies
– RHYA: $165 million
– EHCY: $115 million
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
– $40 million to youth homelessness strategies
– $300 million for CoCs
– Report language
2015 Bi-Partisan Legislation:
The Homeless Children and Youth Act
H.R. 576/S. 256
• Introduced in the US Senate by Senators Dianne
Feinstein (D-CA) and Robert Portman (R-OH)
• Introduced in the US House by U.S. Representatives
Steve Stivers (R-15th/OH) and Dave Loebsack (D2nd/IA)
• Supported by 425 organizations, including 59
national organizations
A Couch is Not a Home & #WhyISupportHCYA
The Homeless Children and Youth Act
(HCYA): What Does it Do?
• Amends HUD’s definition of homelessness to
include children and youth verified as homeless by
school liaisons, RHYA programs, Head Start, Health
Care for the Homeless programs, etc.
• Prohibits HUD from prioritizing one group over
another; communities would be guided by local
needs assessments
• Requires data from all federal homeless programs
to be part of HUD’s Report to Congress
What Does The Homeless Children and
Youth Act (HCYA) NOT Do?
• Does not contain expensive new studies or data
collection
• Does not take away funding and services from
other, “less needy” homeless populations
• Does not create “flood the system” and overwhelm
existing resources
The Homeless Children and Youth Act
(HCYA): Action Steps
• Co-sponsors are needed in Senate and House –
doesn’t matter from which states
• Set up meetings to discuss the issues
• Take Action Letters and Organizational
Endorsements – www.helphomelesskidsnow.org
• Youth/families stories – www.invisiblepeople.tv
• A Couch is Not a Home Campaign www.nn4youth.org/policy-advocacy/hcya
NN4Y Policy Advocacy
Resources
• Take Action Center on our website with up-todate information
– Fact Sheets
– Policy Briefs
• Webinars and archived webinars for members
• Advocacy Toolkits
• Best Practices & Community Planning
Publications
• Resource Center on our website:
www.nn4youth.org/learn/resources
NN4Y FEDERAL POLICY
CAMPAIGNS
www.nn4youth.org/policy-advocacy
Model Runaway and Homeless Youth
Law for State & Local Advocacy
• How to Pass a RHY Law
• Model Legislation
• Appendix of Existing State
RHY Law
• Download at:
www.nn4youth.org/learn/r
esources
Who is Homeless? Different
Definitions of Homelessness by State
• State Definitions of
Homelessness and
Homeless Youth
• Analysis of Definitions
• Summary of Findings
• Model Definition
• Download at:
www.nn4youth.org/learn/
resources
RAISING AWARENESS &
INSPIRING ACTION TO HELP
HOMELESS AND FOSTER YOUTH
DURING ACADEMIC BREAKS
1. Allow youth to stay in their residence hall.
2. Open international student housing for homeless and
foster youth.
3. Use Student Support Services dollars for housing during
breaks.
4. Create a website where youth can confidentially disclose
their status and what services they need.
5. Designate a Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
on Campus.
“Ten people who speak make more noise
than ten thousand who are silent”
Why Get Involved in Policy Advocacy?
• Good policies are informed policies
• No one else knows what you know - no one else
is likely to take up these issues
• Children and youth experiencing homelessness
are invisible to the public and to policymakers
• As a constituent, you have the most power to
effect change
• National organizations have limited impact
without engaged memberships
Partner with NN4Y. Become a member.
• Membership connects you with providers from across
the country.
• You receive insider federal policy information.
• Opportunity to shape NN4Y policy recommendations and
agendas by participating in members only discussions
about legislative policy and administrative regulations
and administration decisions.
• Opportunity to participate in Policy Advisory Committee
(PAC), nominate youth to our National Youth Advisory
Council (NYAC), and discount to our National Summit on
Youth Homelessness in Washington, DC
www.nn4youth.org/membership
Thank You
Darla Bardine, JD
Amy Louttit, JD
Executive Director
Public Policy Associate
National Network for Youth
www.nn4youth.org