Transforming Your Community with YHDP: Lessons Learned & the New 2021 YHDP NOFO

Youth homelessness is a nationwide crisis, it manifests in unique and challenging ways both across and within communities. Solutions should be grassroots-driven and community-led. HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program enables communities to implement innovative solutions, develop equitable systems, and ensure that communities have stable, accessible, and secure housing for all young people experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Learn from young people, former YHDP recipients, and Point Source Youth technical assistance experts on the new YHDP NOFO application, what you need to know, youth-led interventions to center, and how YHDP can transform your community’s response to ending youth homelessness by placing youth leadership at the front of the table.

SPEAKERS

  • Brittany Garner, Director, Rural & South, Point Source Youth

  • Kahlib Barton, Co-Associate Director, Technical Assistance, True Colors United

  • Riannon Bardsley, Statewide Initiatives Manager, WA Department of Commerce in the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection

  • Sarah Hunter, Managing Director, Center for Housing Justice

  • Lauren Leonardis, Founder, Mother and Changemaker Consulting

  • Matthew Aronson, Youth Homelessness and Coordinated Community Response Specialist


Brittany Garner, Director, Rural & South, Point Source Youth
A licensed social worker, Brittany’s background includes time at Georgia Equality, running the Youth HIV Policy Advisors program. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Community Partnerships, she was the Deputy Director for Programs for a service provider that caters to the needs of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in Georgia. Brittany oversaw the implementation of all programs and outreach, particularly serving southern rural youth. Brittany recently worked at the Atlanta Continuum of Care (CoC) where she spearheaded the creation and implementation of a youth action board with rural youth, youth coordinated entry, as well as rapid rehousing and host homes. Brittany is an instructor at Georgia State University’s School of Social Work. She is thrilled to take her skills and knowledge to work with rural communities that may have otherwise felt left behind and unsupported, building resources in rural areas is essential to ending youth homelessness.    

Kahlib Barton, Co-Associate Director, Technical Assistance, True Colors United
Kahlib Barton joined the True Colors United team after competing his tenure with Us Helping Us, People Into Living. Inc as the PrEP Program Coordinator. Kahlib is also a Public Health capacity-building specialist and queer activist who has done work with Gilead Sciences, NMAC, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation. He is a member of the Young Black Gay Men’s Leadership Initiative and a former National Youth Forum member. In addition to Kahlib’s advocacy efforts, he is a member of the Ballroom Community in the House of Garcon and a passionate thespian who is motivated by ARTivism. Prior to moving to Washington, DC, he worked with youth to create stage plays that highlighted many different social justice issues. Being a young activist/advocate, from Texas, Kahlib is most passionate about authentic youth collaboration, increasing rural access, and ending LGBTQ youth homelessness.

Riannon Bardsley, Statewide Initiatives Manager, WA Department of Commerce in the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection
Riannon is the Statewide Initiatives Manager at the WA Department of Commerce in the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection. With more more than 25 years of experience working with young people in crisis in systems including homeless housing, juvenile justice and foster care my mission is to help create system reform that centers and gives decision-making power to young people with lived expertise.

Sarah Hunter, Managing Director, Center for Housing Justice
Sarah is a public policy strategist with experience at the local and federal levels. Specializing in housing and homelessness solutions, Sarah formerly served as Policy Advisor to Secretary Julián Castro of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was an architect of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, and most recently, at CSH, learning and emerging alongside communities in its implementation. Prior to joining NIS, Sarah spent time as a community organizer, leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth policy and practice shifts, and centering the voices of individuals with lived experience. Sarah holds a Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor's degree in Sociology/Philosophy from James Madison University. She is currently based in the Washington, DC Metro area. (edited)

Lauren Leonidis, Founder, Mother and Changemaker Consulting
Lauren Leonardis is the founder of Mother and Changemaker Consulting, specializing in authentic stakeholder engagement and youth homelessness issues. She uses her own lived experience in homelessness to inform and motivate her. She is an expert on supporting youth leadership as well as Youth Action Board governance structures. Lauren is committed to changing the systems that impact our most oppressed and vulnerable people, including at-risk youth, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC.

Matthew Aronson, Youth Homelessness and Coordinated Community Response Specialist
Matthew Aronson works with local and national partners to develop coordinated community responses to end youth and young adult (YYA) homelessness in America. He spent over 7 years as a subject matter expert in YYA homelessness and coordinated entry processes for the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, crafting federal policy, developing and implementing pilot projects, including the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, and leading various aspects of HUD’s Continuum of Care grant program. Matt co-led the development of the Coordinated Entry Notice (CPD-17-01), among other publications, has developed and led numerous direct facilitation engagements, and has presented material on YYA homelessness and coordinated entry at numerous conferences and on nationally-broadcast webinars. Matt has spent most of his career working in direct service to youth as a school teacher, trainer, sports coach, facilitator, and nonprofit director. He is a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Ukraine, earned his MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and his BA in political economy from Williams College.

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