Big things are in the works. Let’s walk through it together.
From Monday to Wednesday, the National Youth Forum on Homelessness (NYFH) held its annual convening in Houston, TX. NYFH, a group comprised exclusively of young people, contributes to the growing national dialogue on how to make youth homelessness “rare, brief, and one-time.” By centering the voices of youth, we ensure that our national conversation is informed by and filtered through the perspectives of young people who have experienced homelessness, and that strategies to end homelessness are generated by youth and young adults themselves. At this week’s convening, NYFH members attended workshops around public policy, effective lobbying, and technical assistance.
NYFH members also participated in a listening session with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), giving young LGBT people with experiences with homelessness the opportunity to speak with HUD officials about the issues most important to them. It’s vital that programs for youth experiencing homelessness are directly informed by young people with lived experience. This isn’t the first time NYFH has collaborated with HUD, and it won’t be the last.
On Wednesday, our friends at A Way Home America facilitated a convening of homelessness technical assistance providers from across the country. Anyone who provides technical assistance in regards to youth homelessness was invited and presented their work to the group. The goal? To discuss ways providers can support each other and combine synergies in order to tackle the work ahead. Check out some of the work A Way Home America was up to in 2016!
On Thursday and Friday, True Colors Fund staff members will attend and present at the 2017 National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness. Executive Director & CEO Gregory Lewis and Associate Program Director Twiggy Pucci Garcon will discussing ways to advance our vision under a new presidential administration and strategize methods to create authentic partnerships with youth.
We’re excited about all the good work being done! Are you? If so, tell your friends! Spread the word on Twitter!