Ending Youth Homelessness

Housing and Homelessness

San Fernando Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

While the Point In Time Count located 41,980 homeless individuals in the City of Los Angeles in 2022, attempts to count Transition Aged Youth vastly under-represent this population because homeless and unhoused youth blend in more. In sharp contrast, the LA County Office of Education counted 51,287 homeless students, including in this figure youth in families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; a more comprehensive metric than the one dictated for the Point In Time Count. Core causes of youth homelessness include aging out of foster care, family conflict or abuse, family rejection due to LGBTQ+ status, substance abuse, cost of housing, and systemic racism. The earlier homeless youth can be placed in safe housing and provided trauma-informed behavioral health services and life skills training, the more likely they are to recover from these experiences, create stable careers and grow into the future leaders of our communities.

TVFS is the Lead Youth Coordinated Entry System for Service Planning Area 2 (San Fernando Valley) for youth experiencing homelessness, and all youth in SPA 2 in need of housing services are referred to us. Services include move-in assistance, short-term rental subsidies, and connection to support services to quickly transition youth experiencing homelessness to a permanent housing solution. TVFS's also operates a 38-bed facility offering up to three years of transitional housing as well as emergency bridge housing. During their time, youth receive the mental health and life skills supports they need to transition into permanent housing and stable employment. Finally, TVFS provides the only Drop-In Center for homeless youth in the San Fernando Valley area that is connected to a Federally Qualified Health Center (Valley Community Healthcare Clinic). Through this integrated program, homeless youth are able to obtain medical services they wouldn't otherwise be able to receive. Also, the Drop-In Center is specifically designed for a youth population, providing a "low-demand, high-tolerance" environment and Peer Support Specialist staff members who have already experienced and exited difficult youth life experiences. They model resiliency and recovery and build the trust youth need to engage with the Center's staff and resources, which include mental health treatment, wellness groups, financial literacy training, educational support and legal referrals, among others.

Within this grant period, this program will serve 800+ unduplicated youth. Of these, 600+ will receive both housing services and Drop-In services. As some homeless youth served are minors, approximately 125+ are projected to achieve family reunification outcomes of either "Living with Parents" or "Living with Legal Guardian or Relatives." In order to achieve its goals, the program will provide approximately 18,000 service encounters. Last fiscal year, these included 2,506 housing services, 1,900 mental health linkages, 2,490 employment services, and 545 educational services, as well as meals, showers, laundry, etc. The long-term result is youth's transition from homelessness to economic stability and self-efficacy that prevents or breaks a multi-generational pattern of poverty or a trajectory to lifelong homelessness.

At 18, Matthew was living on a friend's couch. Estranged from his parents, he had no home, no job, no support, and no resources. Every day became a struggle to survive. "I never lived on sidewalks or bridges," Matthew said. "But couch-surfing is a form of homelessness. I knew nothing about finances or housing or getting a job. I needed help." He initially came for a meal and then he got to know the staff. "They are experienced adults whose sole job was to be there for me and help me get on my feet," he said. He got involved working on special projects for LGBTQ youth like himself. He also received job counseling, housing information and resources to pursue. With guidance from The Village's therapists, Matthew was able to forge a strong, trusting relationship with his parents. Today, Matthew is a confident 22-year-old who has graduated from California State University Northridge with a degree in journalism and has joined The Village Family Services as a board member.