Avenues for Homeless Youth by Deborah Loon from the 2013 National Conference on Ending Homelessness

1. July 23, 2013
Deborah Loon
Executive Director
NAEH Conference

2. Shelter and Transitional Housing for 200+
homeless youth per year in Twin Cities, MN.
Four programs:
• Shelter and TLP in North Minneapolis
• GLBT Host Home Program
• Suburban Host Home Program
• Minneapolis Host Home Program
Avenues for Homeless Youth

3. GLBT Host Home Program
• Created by GLBT community
• Nationally-recognized model
Suburban Host Home Program
• Created by community volunteers and
youth-serving agencies in fall 2011
• Youth from Hennepin County suburbs
Minneapolis Host Home Program
• Launched fall 2012
• Youth from Minneapolis

4. • Safe & stable transition-like housing
• Cost-effective (50% cost / youth vs. congregate)
• When it works well, it is so much more….
• Long-term relationships critical for success in life
• Changes lives – youth AND hosts
• By extension, changes the community
Why Host HomesWhy Host Homes

5. • Outside the system
• Recruit, screen and train community volunteers to
provide short-term, supportive housing for
homeless youth
• Program manager supports hosts – regular contact,
monthly meetings, support groups
• Youth referred by many partners – homeless youth
agencies, school and county social workers
• Youth receive ongoing case management
Basic OperationBasic Operation

6. Community Advisory or Action Council
• Reflects the community, activists
• Not just social service providers
• Key to host recruitment and program promotion
Key FeaturesKey Features

7. Host screening
• Background checks, 2-3 interviews, reference
checks
Host training
• Video to provide context to homelessness,
trauma and resiliency, gender/transgender,
anti-racism/white privilege, self-reflection
exercises, panels of past hosts and youth
Key FeaturesKey Features

8. Careful youth referrals
• Case manager needs to work with youth at least
one month
• Youth are voluntary participants…they are never
“placed”
Youth-driven matching process
Consistent support of hosts and youth
Key FeaturesKey Features

9. Ongoing host training and support by program
manager
• Calls and meetings, as needed
• Monthly support groups
• Monthly meeting in the home
• 2-3 trainings per year
Ongoing youth support by case manager
Key FeaturesKey Features

10. Not easy! Leap of faith for participants.
• Manage expectations. Guarantee there will be
conflicts and really difficult times. Hosts can’t
expect youth to be “grateful.” And hosts will
always wish they knew more about the youth.
• Help hosts set clear boundaries.
Communicate, train, support…repeat.
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

11. • Must be created and owned by the community.
Can’t be another social service program.
• Bias against government funding – do not want
program to become rules-based.
• Good case management is crucial. But referring
partners often lack capacity to case manage while
in host home.
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

12. www.avenuesforyouth.org
612-522-1690
deb@avenuesforyouth.org