We are a team of individuals committed to ending homelessness, made up of youth who are exiting or have exited homelessness, and college students, many who also have experienced homelessness in their youth. Our goal was to reach at least 300 unhoused or unstably housed transitional-age youth (15-to-24 years) in San Francisco and Alameda Counties. Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) are not only
at greater risk of being infected by COVID-19 than their peers, but are also more likely to face various obstacles that affect their transition into adulthood. As an example, Alameda County has fewer than 10 shelter beds for minors, and fewer than 100 for transitional-aged youth 18-24 years of age. Many California counties have none. We cannot end homelessness without addressing youth homelessness!! This pilot project, funded by UCLA’s Life Course Intervention Network, The Wallace Center, and The Benioff Center, will also serve to further inform future youth participatory research and large scale surveys with YEH. We will share our results with youth and key stakeholders to inform the planning of the next steps for a collaborative research agenda and to improve policies and services for SF and Alameda County youth.
