TAC has worked closely with many communities on their plans to end youth homelessness. At the center of each of these engagement has been a decision-making entity made up of youth and young adults who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness. Often called Youth Action Boards (YABs), these groups provide leadership and guidance in partnership with other key stakeholders.

Grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program have been a catalyst in YAB development across the country. In the fall of 2019, we surveyed seven communities to ask about the role and functioning of youth leadership in their efforts to address youth homelessness — their strengths and challenges, as well as the small details that push them forward like facilitation practices, budget, and recruitment efforts.

The results, shared here in a series of downloadable community fact sheets and topic spotlights, show diverse strategies, challenges, and opportunities. No matter what stage your community has reached, we hope these resources will help you bring the voices and power of youth and young adults with lived experience of homelessness directly into all planning and implementation decisions.