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HomeMy WebLinkAboutthe-need-for-tay-resources-within-the-home-together-fund-presented-by-alameda-county-youth-advisory-boardThe Need for TAYResources Withinthe HomeTogether Fund Presented By:Alameda CountyYouth Advisory Board TA We are 100% BIPOC between the ages of 18-28 with lived experience of being formerly or currently homeless. We work closely with city, county decision-makers, service providers, professors, young people, and community members to collectively guide leaders by advising on the best policies and practices that meet the diverse needs of young people at risk of and or experiencing homelessness. We have three subcommittees that address the valuable input we need to make changes in our communities: Data, Recruitment Retention Outreach, and Communications. Each subcommittee meets once a week to empower our currently and formerly homeless TAY who are underserved and overrepresented. TA About the Alameda County Youth Advisory Board (YAB) Unaccompaniedminors and exploitedyouth DATA Based on Statewide H M I S: (Homelessness Management Information System) 46,805 Unaccompanied Transitional Age Youth 24,196 Unaccompanied Minors Nearly 350, or 1 in 7 youth, show signs of commercial sexual exploitation. Source: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7227e954a08a4d2cb990949aa029275d/page/State-Data AS Youth Impacted bySubstance Use Data: Many youth, unfortunately, utilize substances as their way of coping with the adversities they face navigating homelessness. In California, 25.44 million 18-25-year olds report binge drinking in the last two years. 2023 was a record year with 309 overdose deaths in Alameda County, which increased by 65% from 2022, as stated by an Alameda County Behavioral Health Board agenda memo. In 2023, 7,560 Californians died from an opioid-related overdose. The death rate per 100,000 population from fentanyl increased from 0.2 deaths in 2013 to 18.3 deaths in 2023. Adolescents are especially vulnerable to substance misuse because their brains are still developing. However, adolescents in Alameda County might be at even higher risk. With the academic environment in Alameda, and the San Francisco Bay Area as a whole, students face immense pressures on the daily. Sources: Chari, N. (2025). Increasing opioid misuse in Alameda County, signs of addiction in teens. The Pleasonton Weekly. https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/alameda-county/2025/11/01/increasing-opioid-misuse-in-alameda- county-signs-of-addiction-in-teens/#:~:text=2023%20was%20a%20record%20year,Behavioral%20Health%20Board%20agenda%20memo. National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. (2025). https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#:~:text=Alcohol%20is%20by%20far%20the,among%20teens%20and%20young%20adults.TN/KJ Formerly Incarcerated /On Probation Youth Data: In a national study on homeless youth in 11 U.S. cities, researchers found that nearly 44% had stayed in a jail, prison, or juvenile detention center, 78 % had at least one interaction with the police at some point in their life; and nearly 62% had been arrested at least once. Based on the 2024 PIT Count In Alameda County, 32.5% of all people experiencing homelessness were involved in the criminal justice system. It is estimated that about 75% of all homeless youth have had at least one police interaction. TN/KJ Sources: Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. (2023). What we need to thrive: A youth-led vision for a just Alameda County. https://oycr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/346/2024/07/Alameda-County-Youth-Justice- Report_Final.pdf Fresno County. (2021). Youth Feedback Survey Report: Youth Experiences in the Juvenile Justice Campus. https://www.fresnocountyca.gov/files/sharedassets/county/v/1/probation/councils/juvenile_justice_coordinating_council/jjc-documents/2021/2021-10-27/youth-survey-report-summer-2021.pdf Immigrant Youth DATA The Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are about 14,000 undocumented youth ages 16-24 and 5,000 under the age of 16 in Alameda County since 2023. A “Special Series on Community Health” by Alameda County Health found that students who are English learners have a 19.2% high school drop-out rate. Unaccompanied immigrant youth are often concerned about meeting basic needs, such as housing, legal representation, employment, and health care. Due to a lack of affordable housing in Alameda County, immigrant youth face significant risk for homelessness. Some live with their families in stable situations, while many others face high rents, overcrowded living situations with extended family members, and other forms of housing insecurity. TA Sources: Center for Healthy Schools and Communities. (2019). Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth in Alameda County An Inquiry into the Experiences and Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth and Their Families. https://achealthyschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/181 Office of Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle. (2021). The State of Immigrant and Refugee Rights in Alameda County: Final Report of the Alameda County Ad Hoc Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rightshttps://district2.alamedacountyca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2022/03/FinalReport_AHCIRR.pdf Former Foster / Ward of CourtYouth DATA Based on Alternative Family Services: Young men in California who were in foster care are 82% more likely to become homeless. Black foster youth are over 3x more likely than non-Black youth to be currently experiencing homelessness, and they are 75% more likely than non-Black youth to have experienced homelessness in the past 12 months. TASource: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/research-evaluation/statistics Expecting & Parenting Youth 44% of young women, ages 18-25, who face homelessness, report being a parent or pregnant 18% of young men, ages 18-25, who face homelessness report being a parent Young families experiencing homelessness find there are few options for safe shelter and services for them that are able to meet their unique needs. Sources: https://covenanthousecalifornia.org/pregnant-and-parenting-youth/ https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/VoYC-PP-Brief-FINAL.pdf TA Unaccompanied & Labor youth Minor-friendly housing and supportive services (e.g. services without parental consent, minor-dedicated shelter spaces) Improve data to accurately count how many unaccompanied youth are in Alameda County. This points to a need for more targeted data collection and visibility on this hidden subpopulation. Youth Impacted by substance use Increase funding for youth-focused programs and therapeutic services connected to youth housing resources. Community collaboration is essential, bringing together schools, health services, and organizations to create a unified response. Engaging youth in awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts can empower them to make healthier choices and contribute to reducing substance abuse in their communities. Formerly Incarcerated/On Probation Youth Establish a process of warm hand offs and referrals to community services that provides follow up and resources upon release to prevent homelessness, including specific housing subsidies Case management for youth from non-government officials, such as peers with lived experience or community health workers. Survey of impacted individuals cited career building, anger management, self-improvement classes, financial empowerment, and conflict resolution as key to obtaining stability post-release Immigrant Youth Strengthen Family Reconnection and Support Services to help UIY navigate complex family and generational dynamics Job training and employment programs tailored for UIY that include legal work authorization guidance, mentorship and protections against labor exploitation and trafficking. Increase school support to mitigate the risk of dropping out for undocumented/immigrant students (e.g. culturally responsive staff, stronger connections with community partners for referrals) More dedicated staff and services-crisis management, culturally competent, multilingual staff or translation services. Disabled Youth Interagency cooperation to develop shared protocols for supporting youth with disabilities and guarantee disabled youth timely access to rental assistance vouchers Adequate representation of disabled youth in data especially in Alameda County Public awareness programs ADA-compliant job training and readiness programs tailored to youth with disabilities Intervention methods to address homelessness among disabled youth Former Foster or Ward of the Court Youth Interagency cooperation to streamline referrals to housing programs and creating a coordinated process for connecting former foster youth to rental assistance vouchers and supportive resources Increased subsidies for programs for foster youth Expecting & Parenting Youth Subsidies for permanent supportive housing Childcare for parenting/expecting youth Pregnant and parenting youth services Youth housing units with enough space for children Drop-in centers with baby formula, clothes, diapers, and that provide food that is pregnancy-friendly TAY Sub-population Calls to Action TA+TN Outreach Emergency Shelter Coordinated Entry Supportive Services Transitional Housing Rapid Rehousing Permanent Supportive Housing Oakland Safe Haven (Covenant House)18 Youth Village (Restorative Pathways) Phoenix Rising(Restorative Pathways) 12 Hayward Safe Haven (Covenant House) 30 TAY Winter Shelter(Restorative Pathways) 25 Wellness Center (Covenant House) Peer Navigation LAP(VOICES) Hayward Access Point (Covenant House) Peer Navigation (VOICES) HCS Housing Navigation(Covenant House) HCS Housing Navigation (Larkin St) HCS Housing Navigation(Fred Finch) YHDP Joint Component & RS ROP(Covenant House) 10, 12 Turning Point(Larkin St) 12 Tiny Homes(Youth Spirit Artworks) 27 Rising Oaks(Fred Finch) 30 Her House - GBV only(Restorative Pathways) Stable Futures (Youth EmploymentPartnership) 30 Our House(EOCP) 10 Dream Center(Kingdom Builders) 50 YHDP Joint Component (Covenant House) 20 YHDP Joint Component (Larkin St) 20 North County Youth (Covenant House)30 Coolidge Court (Fred Finch)18 Harmon Gardens (SAHA)15 Meekland (BOSS)18 New/Opening Soon and Current Shelter & Housing Resources for Youth  Note: This excludes additional resources available for youth who are involved with the child welfare or probation systems EH 85 181 70 51 YouthHomelessness inAlameda County According to the California Youth Homelessness Dashboard, in Alameda County (2024)*: 3,977 youth (under 25) were experiencing homelessness, 55% were unaccompanied 2,706 youth (under 18) were experiencing homelessness, 39% were unaccompanied A bed potentially exists for only 43% of youth experiencing homelessness Source: based on HDIS & HIC data EH TAY on the Alameda County CrisisQueue 312 Unmet Need TAY on the Alameda County Housing Queue 389 Source: HMIS data as of December 2, 2025 TN The BiggestNeeds Knowing that each young person have different needs, we’re asking that Measure W also sets aside dedicated funding to ensure that the subpopulations we mentioned will receive the necessary support in order to attain and maintain housing. Like many frameworks have proven, a young person has a better chance of keeping their housing when they’re also connected to support such as case management, financial skills building, life skills development, and more. Services need to be tailored and responsive to those with backgrounds in disability, substance use, neurodivergency, foster care or juvenile involvement, commercial trafficking and sexual exploitation. . Supportive Services Young people need connections to services that focus on keeping families safely together and address early challenges before they leave to separation. One of the leading reasons why a young person becomes homeless is because of family conflicts that often results in them getting kicked out of the home. By strengthening family relationships, improving stability, and connecting caregivers to the tools they need, preventative services help ensure that young people can remain in safe, nurturing homes and avoid entering the child welfare or homelessness systems. Family Reunification- Preventative ServicesYouth-dedicated Housing It is not unknown that there is not enough housing available in Alameda County. To combat the slow development of new housing units, high rental costs, and commercial rental conversions that reduce long-term housing supply , we need to ensure that Measure W reserves a portion of its funding specifically to preserve and secure housing opportunities for young people in the next 5 years. While there has traditionally been more housing units reserved for adults, families, and veterans, there is very little housing available for TAY. TA The Alameda CountyYouth AdvisoryBoard is Requestingthe Home TogetherFund Be Used To: There is a substantial need for a variety of more consistent youth housing and supportive services that are sustainable long-term to meet the substantial need in Alameda County. Funds should be set aside for this purpose, including for minor-age youth and special TAY populations. Services should be trauma-informed, safe, and welcoming for young people through robust training specific to serving young people experiencing homelessness. Ensure sufficient youth-specific housing resources and supportive services via a Youth Set-Aside Permanent Supportive Housing for TAY is critical to provide young people with the time, support and stability they need to focus on pursuing their education and employment goals that will set them up for success long-term. The 50 PSH units currently existing for TAY are insufficient to meet the current need. Increase the amount of Permanent Supportive Housing for TAY We need services to prevent the juvenile justice system to homelessness pipeline for youth who may be high-risk. We need services to prevent youth from resorting to substances and other high-risk behaviors as their method of coping. TAY need services to prevent families from being separated to ensure their mental health is at its best. Family Reunification and other TAY specific homelessness prevention services are critical to addressing this. Provide youth-specific homelessness prevention services, especially for special TAY populations TA Thank You https://sl1nk.com/8HABz TA Check out the YAB at: