The California Homeless Youth Project (HYP) is a project committed to bringing youth to the policy table and to informing policymakers, opinion leaders, and other stakeholders about the needs of unaccompanied homeless youth. The California Wellness Foundation provides funding for this project.
This project seeks to improve understanding of young people ages 12 to 24 who are on their own and the issues they face. These issues may include family conflict, lack of shelter and educational opportunities, health needs and mental instability, and the effect of interactions with law enforcement agencies. HYP highlights solutions for these youth by engaging them directly in research and policy discussions, and allowing their voice to be heard amongst those of researchers, practitioners, and policy experts.
The project began in 2006, and when it began, it employed 40 homeless or formerly homeless young people who interviewed over 200 of their peers and conducted focus groups of homeless youth in several cities around the state. The project then created reports that summarized the research findings about the homeless youths’ experiences that served as a way for them to learn how to make changes in policy, law, and service to improve their lives. Along with reports, the project also created a 30-minute video, Voices from the Street: Homeless Youth Speak Out on State Policy, that highlights the major findings from surveys and public policy forums and presents homeless youths’ ideas for change.
The California Homeless Youth Project is dedicated to serving those whose voices are not always heard in our society. To learn more about this project, please visit http://cahomelessyouth.library.ca.gov and follow them on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CAHomelessYouth
