housing First & Housing Navigation
Housing first approaches and housing navigation services are essential when working with youth experiencing homelessness to ensure they have access to safe and stable housing, supportive services, and opportunities for long-term stability and success.
Key Takeaways
Housing First Empowers Young People
By giving them agency and autonomy over their housing situation and navigation, the Housing First model reinforces trust in youth to identify what is best for them and what housing opportunity fits their needs and wants, while organizations provide resources and supportive engagement to strengthen it.
Lead with Collaborative Lens
Housing First encourages service providers to lead the housing search with collaboration, education, and anti-adultist approaches. Start by engaging young people in meaningful conversations to help identify their housing goals and what it will take to achieve them. Then provide insight on navigating the complexities of the housing system, and how to connect with landlords.
Involve Youth in Every Step
Beware of setting program perimeters that may create more barriers than solutions for young people to receive support. Create opportunities and spaces for young people to feel connected to the housing process by exploring what housing stability looks like for them— is it having a lease in their name? Sharing a space with a friend? Being hosted? Involve youth in the decision-making and policy process and provide them with a range of housing options that meet their individual preferences and needs.
Explore Frequently Asked Questions
two Actions you Can Take now
Leverage Creativity & Strengths-Based Assessments
Organizations can conduct a comprehensive strengths-based assessment to identify a young person’s skills, abilities, and resources that can be leveraged to support their housing needs. This assessment can help service providers better understand the youth's unique circumstances and tailor support services accordingly.
Explore alternative verification methods to confirm identity and eligibility. This includes accepting sworn statements from the young person, obtaining letters of support from trusted individuals or community organizations, and/or collaborating with other service providers who can vouch for the youth's identity.
Co-Create Housing Plans with youth
Housing plans are developed with two main goals— outlining a young person’s history and experiences with housing and identifying the young person’s housing goals. Young people should be encouraged to explore and identify their different housing goals including rapid and/or emergency housing, short-term housing, and long-term housing goals. Based on the self-identified goals, a plan of action should then be co-developed to identify options and opportunities that the youth can connect with.
Organizations should create housing navigation and host connections that are driven by youth participants. Implementing housing plans and housing agreements are essential to the success of a young person’s stability in their housing choice and connection.
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