The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program

The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program aims to provide funding for identifying and implementing strategies to prevent homelessness among youth and young adults aged 12 to 26. This program focuses on populations at high risk of homelessness, including those vulnerable to human trafficking, struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues, or transitioning out of foster care, juvenile justice, or behavioral health systems. The program emphasizes addressing root causes such as lack of affordable housing, poverty, and family dynamics. Grant recipients are required to actively involve youth who have experienced homelessness in the design and implementation of projects, including forming local youth advisory boards to ensure their perspectives and needs are central to the efforts. Additionally, grantees must participate in a federally sponsored evaluation to assess the effectiveness of their interventions. The program is administered by the Administration for Children & Families under the Department of Health and Human Services. Interested parties can reach out to the designated point of contact, Amanda Persad, for further information. This initiative seeks to foster collaborative, youth-informed prevention approaches that tackle the systemic factors contributing to youth homelessness.