The youth homelessness demonstration program (yhdp) aims to support selected communities in developing and implementing a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development awarded Youth & Shelter Services Inc. $1,799,182 on April 1, 2026, under the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (CFDA 14.276).

The award funds a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Ames, Iowa through June 30, 2028. Eligible activities include acquisition and rehabilitation of housing facilities, new construction of supportive housing structures, leasing of structures for housing or supportive services, rental assistance (short-term, medium-term, or long-term in tenant-based, project-based, or sponsor-based formats), supportive services to help participants obtain and maintain housing, operating costs of supportive housing, implementation and operation of a homeless management information system (HMIS), and program administrative costs. Youth & Shelter Services Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit, delivers emergency shelter, transitional housing, supportive services, and crisis intervention to runaway and homeless youth under 22 across Iowa, with service emphasis on case management, substance abuse counseling, mental health treatment, job training, and parenting skills education for pregnant and parenting youth.

The program's seven objectives include preventing and ending youth homelessness, building national momentum, promoting equity in homeless assistance delivery and outcomes, highlighting youth leadership, evaluating the coordinated community approach, expanding capacity, and establishing a framework for federal program and technical assistance collaboration.

Activities

Eleven types of assistance may be provided through the yhdp: 1. Acquisition of real property (including structures) for use in the provision of housing or supportive services; 2. Rehabilitation of structures to provide housing or supportive services; 3. New construction, including the building of a new structure or building an addition to an existing structure for use as supportive housing; 4. Leasing of a new structure or structures, or portions thereof, to provide housing or supportive services; 5. Rental assistance, which may be short-term, medium-term, or long-term, as well as tenant-based, project-based, or sponsor-based, for transitional or permanent housing; 6. Supportive services to assist program participants obtain and maintain housing; 7. Operating costs of supportive housing; 8. Costs of implementing and operating homeless management information system (hmis); 9. Program administrative costs; 10. Relocation costs; and 11. Indirect costs in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, as applicable. No assistance provided under this program (or any state or local government funds used to supplement this assistance) may be used to replace state or local funds previously used, or designated for use, to assist homeless persons or persons at-risk of homelessness.

Expected outcomes

As a result of developing and implementing a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness, there will be: • significant decrease in the number of youth experiencing homelessness. • increased income, education, health, and social/emotional well-being of participants. • community-level understanding of the number and needs of youth at-risk of and experiencing homelessness. • new or improved partnerships between youth-serving organizations in the community.

Intended beneficiaries

Homeless unaccompanied youth (age 24 and younger) and homeless youth (age 24 and younger) with children.

Subrecipient activities

The subrecipient activities are unknown at the time of award.