Bridging Horizons: Empowering Futures One Lived Experience at a Time

Youth economic advancement

San Fernando Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

According to HUD’s Annual Homelessness Assessment Report for 2025, 1 in 5 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness were over the age of 55. The issues that arise for unhoused older adults include social isolation, loneliness, depression, substance use, and can have lasting and potentially fatal effects.
In a shocking juxtaposition, transitional age youth (TAY), youths between the ages of 16-24, face similar challenges to those older adults face. Two major similarities are social isolation and loneliness that lead to negative impacts on their health. TAY are more vulnerable to housing insecurity and as a result are also at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness.
To disrupt the cycle of poverty and homelessness for both TAY and older adults, this problem must be addressed now. The continuous nature of the cycle prevents people from advancing through society and often members of these communities are prone to remain in their situations.

National Health Foundation aims to identify, prioritize and resolve systemic barriers to health and housing resources for unhoused senior citizens and TAY. NHF’s intergenerational internship, Bridging Horizons Program, aims to foster relationship building and community development across generations, especially between older adults (aged 55+) in NHF’s interim housing facility and TAY. Amongst the plethora of benefits of intergenerational programming, NHF’s Bridging Horizons Program provides learning and companionship opportunities for both age groups. The program consists of 12 educational sessions all focused on intergenerational lessons. Some of the workshops include “teamwork and communication” and “cultural diversity as the older adult.” The program’s duration is a yearlong, with educational seminars leading the way to intergenerational activities and programming. Some of these activities include gardening together, cooking together, and computer lessons. The participants of the program will also learn about data collection and program evaluation. The culmination of the program is a project that the youth and older adults work on together, focusing on identifying and mitigating a need or issue within the confines of their lives.
Through this program we hope to see reduced feelings of loneliness, improved mental well-being, and destabilizing stereotypes of ageism. The overarching goal is to see a decreased risk of falling into or experiencing prolonged homelessness.

NHF’s Bridging Horizons program is designed to bring together TAY and unhoused older adults to create a connection between the two groups, while providing valuable skill-building activities for life. Through this programming not only will the youth learn to destigmatize ageism, both groups will feel a reduced sense of loneliness and increased feeling of purpose. From gardening together or even learning something new together, this program is designed to bring together generations in a way that creates a lasting effect.
By desegregating different age groups together, our organizations can not only prevent homelessness for youth but intervene in the cycle of homelessness for older adults. NHF aims to continue to onboard TAY interns for this program and create multiple cohorts to ensure full engagement of both the youth and the older adults. By bringing this program to our other 2 recuperative care sites, we can greatly increase impact and emphasize the value of human life at any age.