Scaling Supportive Services for Unhoused Youth

Affordable housing and homelessness

San Fernando Valley

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

The Village Family Services’ (The Village) Drop-In Center serves:

- Homeless and unhoused Transition Aged Youth (TAY) ages 14 through 24 in the San Fernando Valley.
- The majority of those served are youth of color: averaging 50% Hispanic or Latino/Latina and 30% Black or African American annually.
- Last fiscal year, 18% chose to identify as LGBTQ+. This is a significant percentage because LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionately high rates of family rejection, violence and trauma.

Of the homeless youth counted and surveyed across Los Angeles County in 2024:
- 17% percent were under 18 and 83% were 18-24.
- 33% reported instances of domestic/intimate partner violence and 10% reported homelessness due to fleeing domestic/intimate partner violence.
- 41% identified as Latino/Latina, and 42% identified as Black.

The need for services is rising dramatically, driven by a critical shortage of affordable housing and extreme rent increases, compounded by the January 2025 wildfires.

The Village’s Drop-In Center serves as a critical entry point for services and is specifically designed for a youth population. It provides a “low-demand, high-tolerance” environment, as well as Peer Support Specialist staff members who have already experienced and exited difficult youth life experiences, such as homelessness and substance abuse. They interact with youth by sharing common experiences and modeling resiliency and recovery. They provide individualized direct support by respecting the youth’s choices and building their confidence. This program component builds the trust youth need to engage with the Center’s staff and resources for the amount of time needed to build self-sufficiency and develop life skills needed to survive and thrive after homelessness. Additionally, this is the only Drop-In Center in the San Fernando Valley area connected to a Federally Qualified Health Center (Valley Community Healthcare Clinic), which makes it easy for homeless youth to access a variety of health services.

It is open seven days per week and provides a variety of basic need services including food, clothing, showers, laundry, and information on employment, education, housing, and health and wellness. The Center’s full range of services includes referrals and linkage for myriad support services. Finally, the Drop-In Center has dedicated mental health staff on site to help youth address trauma, violence, etc.

Across both short and long terms:

More youth have a place to call home: For some under the age of 18, this is achieved via positive family reunification. For others, the resources provided leads to as sense of community and support during the process of securing their own stable housing situations.

More youth are moving towards permanent housing that is safe and stable: All youth served are served with the end goal of long term, sustainable, stable housing and successful lives.

More youth are receiving emergency shelter: In addition to the 38-bed emergency housing provided directly by The Village’s own housing facility, linkage to emergency housing is a core program outcome.

People are connecting to other resources to ensure long-term success: The mental health counseling, educational support and life skills trainings needed to achieve stability are provided directly by The Village.