Providers around the country are finding that rapid re-housing can be an effective intervention to help young people experiencing homelessness. These providers are using the same core components of rapid re-housing as adult rapid re-housing providers: housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and case management and services, but tailoring each component according to where young people are in their life journeys.
Through the Alliance’s Rapid Re-Housing for Youth Learning Community and Practice Knowledge Project, we gathered some key lessons learned from innovative providers about how they are implementing the model for youth:
- Rapid re-housing for youth requires purposefully embracing a client-driven, Housing First philosophy.
- Landlord engagement is crucial to implementing a successful rapid re-housing for youth program.
- Rapid re-housing can work for youth, but it will need to be a little different from an adult rapid re-housing model.
- Getting the services right is key for youth success in rapid re-housing.
- Rapid re-housing for youth requires flexibility—in case management style, in funding, and in outcome measures.
To help you get started, the Rapid Re-Housing for Youth Toolkit is broken into several topic areas: (1) Housing First; (2) Overview of Rapid Re-Housing; (3) Core Component 1: Housing Identification; (4) Core Component 2: Rent and Move-In Assistance; (5) Core Component 3: Rapid Re-Housing Case Management and Services; and (6) Rapid Re-Housing as a Systems Approach to Ending Youth Homelessness.