Reorganizing Our Work as We Approach a Milestone Anniversary

Since the start of Point Source Youth, we have been guided by one goal — preventing and ending youth homelessness.

We are committed to ensuring that every young person at risk of or experiencing homelessness across the country — especially Black, brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ individuals who have been historically marginalized — has the opportunity to succeed.

And that starts with ensuring that every young person has the housing they need to thrive.

As we approach our 10th anniversary next year, we are going to increase our impact and effectiveness by scaling interventions that work and that place power and resources in the hands of young people experiencing homelessness. 

The data set that we are building with our research partners is demonstrating that Direct Cash Transfers for prevention and Direct Cash Transfers that support a housing outcome — rolled out three years ago and available in 15 communities — are some of the most scalable and effective interventions we have to prevent and end youth homelessness.

We have reorganized the organization to focus specifically on our efforts to research, support, and expand these interventions, which will be able to help tens of thousands of young people as we scale up and expand into more communities, with a long-term goal of making youth homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring nationally.

Through Direct Cash Transfers (DCTs), young people can receive up to $10,000 in immediate support to help prevent homelessness and up to $1,700 a month for two years to provide them with housing stability if they are experiencing homelessness.

Together with our local partners, our efforts will focus on providing young people with a combination of cash payments and services that include financial coaching, setting up a housing plan, housing navigation, and placing them on a path toward long-term success.

We will continue to work with our research partners at Johns Hopkins University, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Systems Change Partners, and Young People to The Front to evaluate the impact of the programs in preventing and ending youth homelessness and building on our evidence-based momentum. 

With our work on solutions like Direct Cash Transfers that place power and resources in the hands of young people, preventing and ending youth homelessness in the U.S. is within our reach and we are more confident than ever that we will achieve our goal.

Larry Cohen

Co-founder and Executive Director
Point Source Youth