Western PA CoC’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP)
What is YHDP?
The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) is a competitive fund program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help communities serve youth under 25 years of age experiencing homelessness/housing instability. The Western PA Continuum of Care (CoC) has been awarded a $3.7 million allocation to create a Coordinated Community Plan, as well as projects, that will prevent and end youth homelessness.
What is a Coordinated Community Plan?
The Coordinated Community Plan (CCP) is a holistic, action-oriented view of what it will take to prevent and end youth homelessness in our community. The CCP will incorporate four core outcomes/partnerships that HUD has identified as key to effectively serving youth: stable housing, education and employment, social and emotional well-being, and permanent connections. The plan will include:
- a list of partners and a shared vision, list of goals, objectives, and actions steps with accountability;
- a statement of need and a list of the new types of projects the CoC would like to see implemented;
- a governance structure; and
- a continuous quality improvement plan and a unified community assessment plan for measuring progress.
What has the CoC been doing to move the YHDP process forward?
Since November 2021, the CoC’s Youth Action Board and a YHDP Core Team have guided the CoC’s work on YHDP, with assistance from HUD Technical Assistance providers. The CoC has held stakeholder sessions, focus groups and sent out surveys to gather input and feedback for the development of the CCP and a Request for Proposals to help the CoC select new projects to fund under YHDP.
Stakeholder session slides:
What is the Western PA CoC’s vision for YHDP?
As a result of this work, the CoC has developed its vision statement for YHDP:
The Western PA CoC believes that everyone deserves a home that is safe, affordable, and stable. We envision a youth homelessness response and housing stability system that is:
- youth-driven,
- built on a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,
- rooted in community,
- viewed through trauma-informed lens, and
- easily accessible by Youth/Young Adults.
This system will meet youth where they are and help them to make lasting and stable connections that guide them to success.
Will there be an opportunity for agencies to apply for YHDP funds?
Click here for a two-page fact sheet that briefly describes this funding opportunity.
The CoC encourages agencies that want to prepare for the YHDP RFP to visit this page (https://pennsylvaniacoc.org/western-pa-coc-resources-yhdp-rfp-applicants) to review resources in advance of submitting a proposal. Potential applicants should be aware that the CoC will give priority to applicants that have engaged in the following activities:
- Authentically engaged youth in your agency- or county-level planning process or on the CoC’s Youth Action Board (YAB).
- Built relationships/partnerships with county/local/regional youth-serving agencies that include juvenile justice, mental health entities, children and youth services, drop-in centers, domestic violence agencies, housing agencies and educational institutions (early intervention, K-12, higher education, career and technical institutions).
Proposals should also meaningfully incorporate approaches such as Positive Youth Development (learn more: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/positive-youth-development) and Trauma-Informed Care (https://www.traumainformedcare.chcs.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/) to be competitive for YHDP funding.
Want to learn more about the CoC’s work to serve youth/young adults?
To learn more, contact Ciarra Johnson, CoC Staff for the Western PA CoC, at ciarra@dma-housing.com.