15th Night Youth Action Council Helps to Secure $3.5 Million Grant to Address Youth Homelessness.

Lane County was awarded $3.5 million in Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) funding to address youth homelessness in our community. The Youth Homelessness Solutions Workgroup of the Poverty and Homelessness Board was instrumental in applying for this grant three years in a row. The 15th Night Youth Action Council (YAC) has been a part of this workgroup from the start, and have spent countless hours informing and reviewing grant applications over the last three years. We are so proud of the YAC for their hard work that has finally paid off, and so excited to see how this funding will impact our community.

YHDP funding will be used to support the development and implementation of a coordinated community approach to prevent and end youth homelessness. Over the next six months the 15th Night YAC will work to develop and submit a coordinated community plan to use the YHDP funds. Yes, you read that correctly. The youth themselves are guiding the way to find the solutions to address youth homelessness.

“The process is meant to be youth led. Everything includes youth voice” said Alex Dreher, Program Services Coordinator with  Lane County Department of Health & Human Services. “It’s really refreshing to be able to see how important it is to engage youth and let them lead the process. It’s a good reminder for adults to slow down and take time to listen and understand. Everything doesn’t need to be so technical.” 

Applications for individual projects will be accepted and reviewed after the coordinated community plan has been submitted by the YAC. Projects will be funded for two years, after which Lane County can renew YHDP funding through the Continuum of Care grant to allow for project sustainability. For more information contact: Alex Dreher at
alexandria.dreher@lanecountyor.gov.

Congratulations to the YAC and all the community partners on the Youth Homelessness Solutions Workgroup, and thank you for your hard work! We are so excited to see what comes next. We know that effective change happens when we empower youth to lead.