Youth Lead Efforts to End Homelessness in Atlanta and Baltimore
Photo courtesy of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
According to Chapin Hall, 1 in 10 young adults — or 3.5 million people in the United States between the ages of 18 and 25 — experience some form of homelessness.
As part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s efforts to ensure the needs of youth and young adults are better met, it supports young adult leadership and engagement through nationwide Continuum of Care programs developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These programs support local government and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to end homelessness in Casey’s hometowns of Atlanta and Baltimore.
Below, you’ll learn about the Casey-funded, youth-led work of Partners for HOME’s Youth Action Board in Atlanta and the Baltimore City Youth Action Board.
Partners for HOME Youth Action Board
Since 2015, Partners for HOME has coordinated a comprehensive response system to fight homelessness in the city of Atlanta. Its seven-member Youth Action Board (YAB) leads focus groups with local care providers to develop a coordinated community plan to end homelessness.
“The members of Atlanta’s Youth Action Board have been passionate advocates for their community,” said Amanda Jacquez, a senior associate with the Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site. “It’s inspiring to see them work together and draw on their own experiences with housing insecurity and homelessness to benefit other young people in Georgia.”
Recent Atlanta YAB efforts include:
- developing a youth provider rating system for Atlanta-area organizations that work with young people experiencing homelessness;
- creating a youth resource guide that helps young people navigate local housing systems and other support services;
- participating in professional development workshops focused on topics like housing advocacy, public speaking and networking; and
- holding monthly recruitment events to increase board membership and communicate with the public about their work.
Kyra Stoute, a current student at Georgia State University who serves as the chair of Atlanta’s Youth Action Board, describes her time in the role as “transformative.” “It has allowed me to better advocate for homeless youth in Atlanta, ensure their voices are heard in policy decisions and collaborate with key stakeholders to create long-term solutions,” she said. “I’m particularly proud of the work we’ve done to develop the continuum of care youth resource guide, which will empower youth to overcome the challenges they face.”
Baltimore City Youth Action Board
Created in 2017, the City of Baltimore’s Youth Action Board is a committee of Baltimore’s Continuum of Care and a key leader in the coordinated community plan for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). Created by HUD, YHDP enables communities to develop more effective and sustainable plans tailored to the needs of youth and young adults experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The board is comprised of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who have experienced homelessness and their young allies.
“Supporting the Youth Action Board members as they participate in system-level discussions and decision making has been extremely rewarding,” said Aliza Sollins, a program associate with the Casey’s Baltimore Civic Site. “It is a joy to work in partnership with this cohort of young adults who are passionate about increasing housing stability and overall well-being for themselves and their peers in Baltimore City.”
Recent Baltimore City Youth Action Board undertakings include:
- advising the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development on a successful $2 million Youth Homelessness System Improvement grant to improve data collaboration and build the capacity of youth action boards statewide;
- creating a youth resource guide that helps young people navigate local housing systems and access resources such as food, shelter, employment and mental health services;
- educating policymakers at the state and city level on issues impacting homeless youth and young adults;
- helping establish statewide rental assistance for Baltimore; and
- launching the Baltimore Youth Impact Podcast, which amplifies youth voices on topics that affect Baltimore residents.
Da’Mel Ross, chair of the Baltimore City Youth Action Board, initially got involved because of his personal experiences with housing instability. “It was [so] that I could help other young people who are facing housing instability — paired with the fact that this was a space where I could work with other people my age who share my experience of being unhoused,” said Ross. “Youth in Baltimore spend so much time trying to survive, but when do they get the chance to live? The Baltimore City Youth Action Board recognizes that often overlooked reality and works toward the change that this city’s young people deserve.”
Learn more about Casey’s efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness
