A local program that offers housing education and assistance to LGBT youth recently got a funding boost.
Valley Youth House’s Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program was awarded a $40,000 grant last month from the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Homeless Assistance Fund Inc.
The project allows Valley Youth to connect homeless LGBT youth with rentals and cover first and last month’s rent, along with four months of rental assistance. The teens also participate in a housing workshop in which they are taught valuable skills on budgeting, tenants’ rights and practical housing-maintenance lessons.
The HPRP launched in 2009 and about 40 young people participated in the program in its first year, according to Valley Youth Southeast Independent Living Regional Director Allison Moore, with 30 attaining rentals.
The program has received more than 130 referrals in its second year.
Valley Youth has worked closely with The Attic Youth Center and other LGBT agencies such as Mazzoni Center, Moore said, in seeking to provide comprehensive resources for the program participants.
The project’s start-up was funded through federal stimulus dollars but the program was set to expire later this year.
With the Homeless Assistance Fund grant, however, it will be able to operate for another year, with part of the funding dedicated to maintaining a case manager for the program and the rest to be invested in rental opportunities for the youth.
Moore said program organizers wanted to go after continued funding after seeing the vital need for such a program for the city’s LGBT youth.
“I think it’s very innovative. There are very few programs here in Philadelphia that are specific to this population. And especially in terms of homelessness, there aren’t very many youth shelters in the city,” she said. “Covenant House is really the main one, but there’s often a waiting list there and youth, whether they’re LGBT or Q or not, often avoid places like adult shelters. So we’ve been trying to make sure their needs are met and pay attention to how their needs change as they go throughout our program.”
Moore said Valley Youth is eager to attain additional funding that will support the program beyond the next year.
“We would really love for it to continue,” she said. “And we want to be able to expand it in terms of the amount of assistance we provide to the youth. Right now, we provide about four-to-six months of rental assistance, and that’s really not all that long for someone who’s trying to get on their feet, go to school, work and really get stable. But right now, we’re able to sustain the program for another year, but we’re definitely looking for other funding opportunities.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].
