Young people who have lived experience with homelessness are essential to the efforts aimed at ending this national crisis. These individuals bring their unique and authentic understanding of the challenges associated with being unhoused, adding significant value to prevention, education and advocacy efforts.

As a board of young people who have experienced unaccompanied homelessness in New Hampshire while under the age of 25, Youth Success Project (YSP) incorporates the youth voice in everything they do.

“We believe youth experiencing homelessness have a right to be included in decisions about their own lives and deserve opportunities where they can make meaningful change,” says Molly Houle, Assistant Director at YSP. “We’ve seen young adults achieve positive outcomes when they’ve been empowered, supported and treated with respect. The YSP is at the center of much of the work happening in New Hampshire to raise awareness about and address youth homelessness in our state’s larger cities and rural communities.”

While the organization is involved with numerous programs, NRS was impressed by a few key initiatives:

• The state of New Hampshire lacked reliable data on youth and young adult homelessness before the first statewide Youth Count survey was conducted in October 2022. This survey reached over 1,400 individuals ages 18-24 who were or had experienced unaccompanied homelessness and has informed the YSP and Continuums of Cares’ responses to youth homelessness. The YSP was involved in every stage of survey design, participated in the analysis of the findings and presented the data at several industry conferences.
• In collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, the YSP has been supporting recipients of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grants, which are aimed at addressing youth homelessness across New Hampshire. The YSP, as part of this effort, collaborated with partners on Youth Subcommittee Workgroups focused on reaching and supporting youth in rural areas, expanding supports for youth experiencing homelessness on college campuses, conducting another Youth Count, and helping youth and young adults get their driver’s license.
• With funding from Granite United Way, the YSP has been building relationships with community organizations and service providers in the central region of New Hampshire to develop an outreach program targeting rural communities in need of resources and information.

In 2023, as a partner in the November public awareness campaign, YSP secured a proclamation from NH Governor Sununu, educated followers through a fantastic social media campaign, shared information and resources while tabling at community events and collected self-care kits for young people experiencing homelessness.

Youth Success Project has big plans for Youth HOPE Month 2024; again they’ve requested a proclamation from the governor recognizing the month-long campaign, are using social media to educate and raise awareness of the issues and are sharing resources through outreach events and partnerships. We’re thrilled to have the YSP participate in Youth HOPE Month and applaud their staff and members for making a difference in the lives of young people.

To learn more about Youth Success Project, visit https://www.nhyouthsuccess.com/.