Youth and young adults who experience homelessness or housing instability are at significant risk of poorer physical and mental health outcomes, disrupted education, and long-term economic instability. To better understand these challenges in Mid- and Southeast Michigan, PSC was brought in by the MSEMI Youth Homelessness Regional Partnership, led by Lighthouse in collaboration with a steering committee of partnership representatives, to conduct a regional youth needs assessment.
PSC worked with Partners for Impact to better define and address system inequities. We prioritized an approach for quantitative and qualitative data collection that focused on a youth centered engagement protocol. The data collection and analysis along with virtual and in person interviews helped our team and partners identify who is experiencing homelessness, how and where they access services, and the challenges they face. Our final report describes the YNA process and includes collected data, key findings, takeaways from interviews, and guidance to improve regional response to youth homelessness. The comprehensive recommendations identified efforts from system partners in ten counties—Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Sanilac, Shiawassee, and Tuscola—can make to build a more coordinated and responsive system to prevent and address youth homelessness in the MSEMI region.
Key Interview Takeaways
“When you have families that have lived with generational poverty and they have been in a crisis cycle time and time again, there’s nobody who knows those skills to be able to pass on.”
—Service provider
“Sometimes being homeless is safer than being with family members.”
—Young person
“I called 211 and was told that I need to spend the night [on the streets] of Detroit if I wanted to get into a shelter there.”
