Join us This Giving Tuesday
Since our founding, Point Source Youth has been guided by a singular mission: preventing and ending youth homelessness.
We are deeply committed to ensuring that every young person at risk of or experiencing homelessness—particularly Black, Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ youth who have been historically marginalized—has the opportunity to succeed and thrive. That journey begins with access to safe and stable housing.
As we approach our 10th Anniversary next year, we’ve reorganized our work to focus specifically on the interventions that we believe will work best to prevent and end youth homelessness—initiatives that empower young people by placing resources directly in their hands.
Direct Cash Transfers are at the forefront of this work. Through this program, young people can receive up to $10,000 in immediate support to prevent homelessness and up to $1,700 a month for two years to ensure housing stability for those experiencing homelessness. While receiving the cash, young people also have access to affirming, youth-driven services provided by a local community-based organization skilled in serving youth.
We are also thrilled to work to scale Direct Cash Transfers as Prevention, where young people who are about to experience homelessness are provided targeted direct cash transfers together with youth-determined supports to prevent them from experiencing homelessness in the first place.
This #GivingTuesday, you can join us in putting power and resources directly in the hands of young people. Over the next year, with your help, we’ll double our reach from 15 to 30 communities across the country–and then expand to empower tens of thousands of young people to thrive–by scaling Direct Cash Transfers to reach those who need it most in places such as Washington state, Los Angeles, Oregon, and beyond.
Your support will not only directly impact young people but also contribute to research. Together with our partners—including Johns Hopkins University, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, and Systems Change Partners—we’re building a robust data set that demonstrates how Direct Cash Transfers are a scalable, cost-effective, and youth-centered solution to ending homelessness.
We are thrilled to announce the PSY Innovation Summit on Youth Advocacy & Direct Cash Transfers, taking place in January 2025 in Portland, Oregon. This landmark event will bring together visionary partners to highlight and celebrate the transformative impact of direct cash transfer initiatives happening across the nation.
Thanks to the dedication of local partners and research collaborators, we are building an evidence-based foundation for lasting change. With solutions like Direct Cash Transfers, we are more confident than ever that preventing and ending youth homelessness in the U.S. is within reach. Will you join us?
With gratitude,
Larry Cohen
Co-Founder & Executive Director,
Point Source Youth
