Episode 12 - Youth Homelessness Awareness Month and the YHDP Grant

Youth Empowerment Radio

The group discusses what Youth Homelessness Awareness Month means to them and how people can get involved and help out the cause. They also discuss what their different departments do to help end youth homelessness.
Kippi presented the Youth Housing Demonstration Project (Yhdp), a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) aimed at tackling youth homelessness in rural areas. The project entails building capacity for youth voice, creating a coordinated community plan, and allocating funds towards initiatives like youth-led projects and transitional living. The goal is to prevent and end youth homelessness by focusing on housing, well-being, education, employment, and permanency. The team also discussed their experiences in facilitating meetings and working in partnership to develop a plan to reduce youth homelessness in Colorado. They shared their mixed feelings about the process, as well as their joy in making a significant change. Kippi announced that the State of Colorado had been awarded the Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention Demonstration Project grant, a significant step forward in their efforts to prevent youth homelessness. Furthermore, Kippi discussed the challenges of setting up youth overnight shelters and the use of host homes in Colorado, and expressed hope in modifying the Host Home Bill to a regulatory model. The team also discussed the importance of understanding the different types of host homes in Colorado, particularly in relation to the disability world and child welfare side. Lastly, Kippi discussed the concept of wraparound services, emphasizing its youth-driven and equitable nature, and the importance of family and youth voice in decision-making.