Host Homes

What:

The Host Homes Program at Home Start is a community and volunteer based response to youth homelessness. The hosts who participate in this program are adults who open their homes to youth who are looking for short-term resources and support.

The Host Homes Program at Home Start will succeed only because of the involvement and support from the community. The program and the
people behind it have a deep commitment to our communities, our youth and social change – not just through the sharing of resources, but through a trans-formative and intimate process of sharing our homes and our lives.

We understand that youth experiencing homelessness are best supported when they are able to remain in the communities where they are comfortable, have friends, attend school, and go to work. For this reason, the goal of the program is to recruit, screen, and provide support to volunteers who have a spare room in their home and are willing to open their homes to young people under the age of 24 in their own communities who are experiencing homelessness or have unstable housing.

Volunteer hosts will receive a monthly stipend.

Why:

The Host Homes Program screens, trains, and provides ongoing support to nurturing adults who volunteer to open their homes to youth under 24 who are experiencing homelessness. While living in a host home, the youth works toward stabilization and self-determination with a case manager.

The goal of this program is to bridge the gap between street and permanent
housing by providing safer housing and food for youth experiencing homelessness and helping youth reach their objectives to build stronger and healthier communities. Not only does this program provide food and housing services but it also works to eradicate negative stigma associated with youth homelessness and puts a human face to this enormous crisis.

If you are a youth experiencing Homelessness or a Host willing to house someone, please contact our Host Homes Coordinator or fill out this Host Interest Form.