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10 to meet young people’s unique needs and Alameda County’s System Model for households with only adults includes specific pathways for TAY.26 Youth experiencing homelessness in Alameda County report a need for greater access to all resources, increased supports to maneuver through, and transition from program to program within the homelessness response system, and increased youth development trainings for providers. Youth and providers have indicated that the homelessness system should be improved to be more welcoming to youth, that stronger housing and employment connections for youth are needed so that youth can find and sustain housing, and that increased access to youth dedicated permanent housing and long-term subsidies would significantly build capacity to serve youth. In work done to identify specific needs of youth for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration program (YHDP) application, the following issues were identified as contributing to youth homelessness:27 • Lack of affordable housing • Lack of supports and resources to successfully transition out of institutional systems such as foster care and the juvenile justice system into permanent housing • Stigma, trauma and marginalization that creates barriers to accessing resources and maintaining housing • Risk of return to homelessness from time-limited programs, especially for African-American and parenting youth • Close to 50% of youth experiencing homelessness report struggling with symptoms related to PTSD or other mental health issues making it difficult for them to navigate the homelessness system and maintain their current housing • Many LGBTQ youth report leaving homes and communities that felt unsafe due to their gender identity or sexual orientation • High risk for commercial and sexual exploitation • Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth face particular challenges. Since 2014, 4,000+ UIY have been apprehended at the border and released to sponsors in Alameda County, many of whom do not remain in their initial placements • Racial disparities are even higher in the homeless youth population than in the total population of people experiencing homelessness In September 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Alameda County CoC a $6.5 million Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant. The funding will be used to create an in-depth plan to meet the needs of youth at-risk of or experiencing homelessness and to work towards ending youth homelessness in the community. Additional resources already available in the county for TAY include the THP Plus 28 program and dedicated Continuum of Care grants. The State of California requires that communities set-aside at least 8-10% (in different funding 26 Oakland-Berkeley-Alameda County Continuum of Care. Centering Racial Equity in Homeless System Design. January 2021. https://everyonehome.org/centering-racial-equity/ 27 Alameda County Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. Application July, 2021. 28 Transitional Housing Program for young adults who exited foster care (including those supervised by Probation) on or after their 18th birthday and are not yet 24 years of age.