Addressing youth homelessness

Let’s celebrate a win that will help Alaska youth! The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness teamed up with the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness on a new grant opportunity benefiting youth, and the result is the maximum $2 million over two years.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offered the new Youth Homelessness System Improvement grants to support sustainable systems of care for young people experiencing homelessness.

The Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness took the lead on the joint application. Brian Wilson, the state coalition executive director, said these funds will be spread across four funding categories: planning and partnerships, data, Coordinated Entry, and racial and gender equity

While details are being worked out, a portion will support compensation for youth who have lived experience in homelessness when they serve on boards, committees and councils.

ACEH leads the Anchorage Continuum of Care, a suite of services and strategies, and the state coalition manages the Balance of State Continuum of Care.

“To put it lightly, this is really massive for Alaska's CoCs as it provides us with two years of added capacity to support sustainable systems of care for young people experiencing homelessness across Alaska,” Wilson said, describing the potential impact.