Federal Resources

HUD created Neighborhood Networks in 1995 to encourage property owners to establish multiservice community learning centers in HUD insured and assisted properties. Neighborhood Networks was one of the first federal initiatives to promote self-sufficiency and help provide computer access to low-income housing communities. Neighborhood Networks centers are alike. With support from innovative public-private partnerships, Neighborhood Networks centers sponsor a range of services and programs. Nearly all centers offer job training and educational opportunities, and many also provide programs that include access to healthcare information and microenterprise development.

This website provides resources and information related to HUD programs, including newly added partnership-building resources for communities in their efforts to end youth homelessness. This blog post from the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth highlights some of the resources that are useful for advocates and service providers. 

This guidebook series helps Continuum of Care stakeholders and practitioners engage partners in efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness. The series includes three guidebooks, including System Planning, Mainstream System Collaboration, and Promising Program Models.

This report (PDF, 98 pages) provides point-in time estimates of both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night, as well as estimates of the number of people experiencing homelessness within particular populations and demographics. The report shows that 549,928 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2016, a decline of 14% since 2010.

This annual report (PDF, 96 pages) provides a snapshot of homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered, on a single night in late January in the U.S., including estimates for particular populations such as youth. The data show 35,686 unaccompanied homeless youth were counted. Eighty nine percent were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 11% were under the age of 18. There were 9,800 parenting young adults between 18 and 24 years of age, and 92 parents under the age of 18. 

This resource provides specific criteria and benchmarks for ending unaccompanied youth homelessness. Communities can use this resource to reduce the number of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness and build lasting solutions to respond to future needs. 

These resources provide information and tools on topics related to ending youth homelessness:

1. Coordinated Entry for Youth Brief — Provides an overview of the four core elements of coordinated entry for youth: access, assessment, prioritization, and referral.
2. Engaging Youth in Decision Making — Provides guidance on how to engage youth in project development and governance.
3. Using a Housing First Philosophy When Serving Youth — Provides an overview of housing first philosophy and how it applies to youth-serving projects.
4. Rapid Re-Housing for Youth — Provides a suite of tools and products on rapid re-housing for youth, including a Jump Start Tool, set of frequently asked questions, and a checklist.