Houston, Texas (June 24, 2024) – Today, the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH) announced it had received a $1.4 million Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). CFTH is one of the 38 community recipients across 26 states to be awarded this funding as part of a $51.1 million national investment announced earlier this month to address youth homelessness.

The YHSI grant will build on the success of Houston’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP), through which CFTH and partners were awarded $10.4 million in Sept. 2021 to build systems to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness and to provide direct services (e.g., transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and diversion).

By contrast, the YHSI grant is centered around planning and partnerships; it is a youth-specific planning grant for our local homeless response system (called The Way Home). YHSI grants are meant to increase state and local capacity to better serve youth and to create projects that are responsive to the needs of youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness in the community.

The YHSI grant will also provide the opportunity for CFTH to work beyond The Way Home’s prescribed geographic region of Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties; through a partnership with Texas Homeless Network, Galveston County will be a part of this work.

Notably, for both YHSI and YHDP work, youth are at the table at all aspects of planning and implementation.

“This grant represents a pivotal investment, aiming not just to alleviate youth homelessness but to redefine how we respond to it in collaboration with our partners,” said CFTH President and CEO Kelly Young. “We look forward to continue to build on the collective successes of the YHDP all while ensuring that youth are at the table every step of the way.”

“Houston thanks HUD for this grant to help address the needs of our homeless youth ages 18-24. This group includes many former foster children who have aged out of the system,” said Chair of the Quality of Life Committee and Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez, At-Large Position 1. “With our resources stretched thin, this grant of $1.4 million is critical to getting Houston's homeless youth off the street and into more permanent housing.”

“This YHSI grant will enhance our collaborations with youth-serving organizations and ensure that youth voice continues to be the guiding factor in ending youth homelessness in our community,” said CFTH Manager of Youth Programs Quana Smith. “This is a huge step forward towards funding and sustaining our Youth Action Board!”

“Coming from a youth perspective, I am excited to see grants like these building bridges across communities to ensure that we are creating change,” said Youth Action Board Member and Steering Committee Youth Representative Danielle Stephen. “It’s about paving a way to a future where we uplift and empower youth facing homelessness.”

“The Coalition for the Homeless has made great strides in putting more of our young people in safe and supportive housing. HUD is proud to support them with these grant dollars to house them quickly and get them the supportive services they need,” said HUD Regional Administrator Candace Valenzuela.  “Unhoused youth can find themselves in unstable situations through no fault of their own, and HUD’s Youth Homelessness System Improvement will help CFTH provide the support the youth need to find housing, focus on education and achieve independence.”