July 23, 2013

Deborah Loon

Executive Director

NAEH Conference

Shelter and Transitional Housing for 200+ homeless youth per year in Twin Cities, MN. Four programs:

• Shelter and TLP in North Minneapolis

• GLBT Host Home Program

• Suburban Host Home Program

• Minneapolis Host Home Program

Avenues for Homeless Youth

GLBT Host Home Program • Created by GLBT community • Nationally-recognized model Suburban Host Home Program • Created by community volunteers and youth-serving agencies in fall 2011 • Youth from Hennepin County suburbs

Minneapolis Host Home Program • Launched fall 2012

• Youth from Minneapolis

• Safe & stable transition-like housing

• Cost-effective (50% cost / youth vs. congregate)

• When it works well, it is so much more….

• Long-term relationships critical for success in life

• Changes lives – youth AND hosts

• By extension, changes the community

Why Host Homes Why Host Homes

• Outside the system

• Recruit, screen and train community volunteers to provide short-term, supportive housing for homeless youth

• Program manager supports hosts – regular contact, monthly meetings, support groups

• Youth referred by many partners – homeless youth agencies, school and county social workers

• Youth receive ongoing case management

Basic Operation Basic Operation

Community Advisory or Action Council

• Reflects the community, activists

• Not just social service providers

• Key to host recruitment and program promotion

Key Features Key Features

Host screening

• Background checks, 2-3 interviews, reference checks

Host training

• Video to provide context to homelessness, trauma and resiliency, gender/transgender, anti-racism/white privilege, self-reflection exercises, panels of past hosts and youth

Key Features Key Features

Careful youth referrals

• Case manager needs to work with youth at least one month

• Youth are voluntary participants…they are never “placed”

Youth-driven matching process

Consistent support of hosts and youth

Key Features Key Features

Ongoing host training and support by program manager

• Calls and meetings, as needed

• Monthly support groups

• Monthly meeting in the home

• 2-3 trainings per year

Ongoing youth support by case manager

Key Features Key Features

Not easy! Leap of faith for participants.

• Manage expectations. Guarantee there will be conflicts and really difficult times. Hosts can’t expect youth to be “grateful.” And hosts will always wish they knew more about the youth.

• Help hosts set clear boundaries.

Communicate, train, support…repeat.

Lessons Learned Lessons Learned

• Must be created and owned by the community. Can’t be another social service program.

• Bias against government funding – do not want program to become rules-based.

• Good case management is crucial. But referring partners often lack capacity to case manage while in host home.

Lessons Learned Lessons Learned

www.avenuesforyouth.org

612-522-1690 deb@avenuesforyouth.org