Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP) Grant
Updated: May 9, 2022
Completed Coordinated Community Plan!
Statement from the Youth Action Board:
Statement from the YAB (1)
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Balance of State:
Manchester:
Goal Statements
Manchester:
#1 Permanent housing & support: Youth and young adults (YYA) have access to low-barrier housing, youth-driven supports, and consistent provider relationships that are suited to their individual needs.
#2 Relationships: YYA are given the tools and support to build strong and positive relationships of their choosing with other YYA in their communities, family members, and mentors.
#3 Education, training, and employment: The Manchester community supports youths’ long term stability by connecting them to employment and education opportunities, if desired, that build on their long term career growth in areas that match their individual interests and goals. YYA are given equitable access to tools and support in a way that is accessible and realistic for them.
#4 Health and social-emotional wellbeing: The Manchester community acknowledges and addresses the traumatic effects of homelessness on YYA. It seeks to minimize the harmful effects of YYAs’ experiences by building upon YYAs’ individual strengths, and supporting their further personal development.
#5 Prevention: There is a community wide commitment to quickly identify YYA at risk of homelessness in the community of Manchester. The young person is connected with appropriate resources and support that meet their needs and desires while preventing homelessness.
#6 Identification of all youth experiencing homelessness: The Manchester community has a coordinated community response to identify YYA experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in multiple settings and with varying circumstances. This includes YYA who are couch surfing, running away, staying with friends or family temporarily, and experiencing literal forms of homelessness.
#7 Sustainability of the system: The Manchester community will continue to strengthen cross-system partnerships, build system capacity, and expand resource availability to effectively support all youth and young adults in need.
#8 Youth Voice: The Manchester community recognizes that YYA have a right to hold decision making power in systems level conversations, as well as in individual discussions with service providers that directly affect their lives.
#9 Equity: The Manchester community recognizes that homelessness is a space where systemic level inequities are concentrated. In order to create lasting and community-wide change, YYA must have equitable access and opportunities for individual success within local homelessness response systems.
Balance of State:
#1 Youth Voice: The New Hampshire Balance of State Continuum of Care (NH BoS CoC) recognizes that YYA have a right to hold decision making power in systems level conversations, as well as in individual discussions with service providers that directly affect their lives.
#2 Equity: The NH BoS CoC recognizes that homelessness is a space where systemic level inequities are concentrated. In order to create lasting and community-wide change, youth and young adults (YYA) must have equitable access to culturally competent housing, opportunities, and resources.
#3 Permanent housing & support: The NH BoS CoC works to connect YYA to low barrier housing that is suited to their individual needs and accompanied by youth-driven supports.
#4 Consistency: YYA have steady access to stable and caring professionals to support their healing and development as people. This requires the expansion of the current system to better serve more YYA in need and reduce staff turnover.
#5 Relationships: YYA are given the tools and support to build strong and positive relationships of their choosing with other YYA in their communities, family members, and mentors.
#6 Health and social-emotional wellbeing: The NH BoS CoC acknowledges and addresses the traumatic effects of YYAs’ experiences on their wellbeing. It seeks to minimize the harmful effects of this by building upon YYAs’ individual strengths and supporting their further personal development.
#7 Education, training, and employment: The NH BoS CoC supports youths’ long term stability by connecting them to employment and education opportunities, if desired, that build on their long term career growth in areas that match their individual interests, skillsets, and goals. YYA are given equitable access to tools and support in a way that is accessible and realistic for them.
#8 Identification of all youth experiencing homelessness: The NH BoS CoC has a coordinated community response to identify YYA experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in multiple settings and with varying circumstances. This includes YYA who are couch surfing, running away, staying with friends or family temporarily, and experiencing literal forms of homelessness.
#9 Prevention: There is a community wide commitment to quickly identify YYA at risk of homelessness in the NH BoS CoC. The young person is connected with appropriate resources and support that meet their needs and desires while preventing homelessness.
#10 Sustainability: The NH BoS CoC will continue to strengthen cross-system partnerships, build system capacity, and expand resource availability to effectively support all youth and young adults in need. These efforts will be done through data driven decision making.
Vision and Mission
The YSP partnered with the Manchester and Balance of State continuums of care to create the following vision and mission statements for their YHDP Coordinated Community Plan.
Manchester:
We believe that homelessness is a systemic and social justice issue, rather than one of individual fault. The focus of this work is placed upon changing systems rather than changing individuals. We envision and work toward a Manchester where there is a community-wide, cross-system responsibility to preventing youth homelessness, led by youth who are valued as experts in their own needs and experience. Youth of all identities have equitable access to youth-specific crisis and permanent housing, education, and supportive relationships that value youth autonomy and choice, meet their needs, and support long-term stability.
Balance of State:
Vision Statement: The NH Balance of State Youth Subcommittee envisions a Continuum of Care where youth and young adults are valued and cared for in the community and in their relationships with service providers. Efforts to end youth homelessness focus on changing systems rather than changing individuals, and homelessness is understood as a systemic and social justice issue rather than one of individual fault.
Mission: The BoS Continuum of Care works to support youth and young adults as they lead the way in preventing and ending youth homelessness. Young people receiving services are understood to be the experts in their own lives and are trusted to make decisions about what is best for them. This is reflected in the service provider-client relationship. Services delivered to youth are mindful of systems of oppression, and seek to deliver a variety of crisis and long-term equitable housing options and support.