YHDP Overview and FAQ

YHDP Overview and FAQ  
updated 4.3.25

What is YHDP? 

The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) is a HUD initiative designed to reduce the number of youth and young adults (YYA), who are age 18-24, experiencing homelessness. The goal of YHDP is to support selected communities in the development and implementation of a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness. YHDP projects are currently only offered in a select 32 communities (YHDP Region) across the Balance of State (BoS) Continuum of Care (CoC). A map of the YHDP region is included on the last page.  

Who is eligible for YHDP projects? 

Households are eligible if all the following three criteria are true for the Head of Household: 

1. 1. Is between the ages of 18-24 

2. 2. Has an eligible housing status - either HUD Category 1 homeless, HUD Category 2 homeless, or HUD Category 4 homeless, and 

3. 3. Has a tie to one of the 32 YHDP communities in the Balance of State 

What qualifies as a YHDP tie? 

YYA must be from one of the 32 YHDP communities in the BoS CoC or be able to demonstrate a strong tie to this community. Examples of ties include but are not limited to: spent a substantial amount of time residing in the community prior to becoming homeless, has family there, attends school or works there, receives supportive services in that community.  

What YHDP projects are offered through the Balance of State CoC? 

There are two main umbrella types of projects: 

• Youth Navigation

• Housing projects– These projects include Transitional Housing, Rapid Re-Housing, Transitional Housing – Rapid Rehousing joint projects, and a Crisis Transitional Housing project.

What does the Youth Navigation project entail? 

Through YHDP, the BoS CoC offers navigation services specific to YYA that have ties to the YHDP region. Currently, there are Youth Navigators in Lowell (at Community Teamwork) and at Wayside in Methuen.

Youth Navigators are responsible for identifying young adults currently experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness to reach out to and offer youth navigation services. These service providers will work collaboratively with existing providers and participate in case consultations, resource sharing, community engagement, and facilitating workshops/activities focused on developing life skills. Navigators will perform assessments, make referrals, provide case management, and work collaboratively as a team to provide wrap-around services. 

YYA that are engaged with Youth Navigation services will be enrolled in the Vesta Youth Navigation project. 

To be enrolled in a Youth Navigation project, YYA do not need to be prioritized through the Coordinated Entry referral process that must be followed for YHDP TH and RRH projects. Instead, if a Youth Navigation project has capacity to work with an eligible client, they can enroll them.

How do YHDP eligible households get entered into CE and connect with Youth Navigation? 

All YYA in the BoS CoC that meet the HUD Category 1 or Category 4 homeless definitions are eligible for mainstream CE and can access the CE Quick Screen/Intake/Assessment process regardless of if they have ties to the YHDP region. They follow the process for all households accessing mainstream CE: 

• Category 1 households – Can enter CE either 1) through a VESTA-participating Street Outreach or Emergency Shelter project in the Balance of State CoC, or 2) through a Regional Navigator that finds them eligible and enters them into CE through the Alternate Portal. 
• Category 4 households (who are not also Category 1) – Can enter DV CE either 1) through a VSP in the Balance of State who will complete a CE packet with them, or 2) through the Domestic Violence Specialist (based at Somerville Homeless Coalition). 

As part of the CE Assessment, YYA households will be asked if they have ties to the YHDP community. To identify YHDP-eligible YYA who entered through paths above, Youth Navigators will regularly run reports to find households who answered yes to this, and subsequently follow up with the client and any case manager listed to offer Youth Navigation services. 

Note: If a YYA household is Category 1 or Category 4, they are eligible for additional non-YHDP specific housing projects through the Balance of State. 

• Category 2 households – Households who meet this definition and have a tie to a YHDP community can be entered into CE by a Youth Navigator at CTI or Wayside Youth and Family Support Network. These households will access CE via the Alternate Portal. Youth Navigators will only use the Alternate Portal to enter Category 2 households. 
   

Note: Many homeless providers typically don’t work with Category 2 households. If a YYA presents at a homeless provider and is Category 2, please ask if they have a tie to one of the YHDP communities. If the answer is yes, please connect them with one of the Youth Navigator agencies so they can confirm eligibility and connect them to YHDP projects.  

Youth Navigator contacts 

Currently there are two agencies offering YHDP Youth Navigation. Contact people are: 

Megan Riley 
Community Teamwork (CTI) in Lowell 
[e-mail]  
978-905-7384 (office)  
978-856-5847 (cell)

Kerlande Michel

Wayside Youth and Family (WYF) in Methuen

[e-mail]

978-349-4213

How are YHDP housing vacancies filled?

Vacancies in YHDP housing projects are filled through the Balance of State Coordinated Entry system. When vacancies open, Youth Navigators at CTI and Wayside will follow the same process that Regional Navigators use when filling mainstream CE vacancies. TH and RRH vacancies must be filled through the CE prioritization process, which ensures that households throughout the YHDP region have access to those opportunities.

* There is a DV-specific YHDP project run by RESPOND, a Victim Service Provider located in Somerville. Those vacancies will be reported to and referred for by the Balance of State CoC’s Domestic Violence Specialist (based at Somerville Homeless Coalition).

How are households prioritized for placement?

Prioritization is the same as mainstream CE – households are considered for housing placements in the order of their CE assessment score. 

There is no preference given to YHDP-eligible households in certain towns or cities.

Difference between YHDP projects and mainstream YYA projects

YHDP projects allow the BoS CoC to serve a wider range of YYA. This is mainly because YHDP projects can serve households that meet the HUD Category 2 definition, while other CoC projects cannot.

YHDP projects were tailored by HUD to meet the needs of YYA. As such, they have capacities that other CoC projects do not. For example, they can pay for services such as license reinstatement fees and rental arrears. Additionally, YHDP RRH projects can have participants remain in their project for up to 36 months.

Please note that in terms of BoS projects, eligibility status may differ between these two types. Some YYA households will be eligible for only YHDP, some only for mainstream projects, and some for both.

Anything else about YHDP to keep in mind?

If a YYA rejects two YHDP housing opportunities in a 12-month period, a review will take place between the Youth Navigators, the YHDP Coordinator, and the CE Lead to determine the best course of action moving forward. This differs from the mainstream CE policy which says that a household is only eligible for two referrals in a calendar year.

The reason for this difference is because YYA households experiencing homelessness may likely be navigating the situation for the first time. If a YYA household turns down two opportunities, the BoS CoC wants to understand the reasons behind it and make sure the household understands the impact of denying offers. After the meeting, the HLC team will decide next steps for the household and if they should be considered eligible for further referrals that year.

Towns and cities in Balance of State YHDP region 
(shown in yellow above)

Acton	Chelmsford	Lowell	Tewksbury
Ashby	Concord	Maynard	Townsend
Ayer	Dracut	North Reading	Tyngsborough
Bedford	Dunstable	Pepperell	Wakefield
Billerica	Groton	Reading	Westford
Boxborough	Lawrence	Shirley	Wilmington
Burlington	Lexington	Stoneham	Winchester
Carlisle	Littleton	Stow	Woburn