Palm Beach County has been selected as one of five communities nationally to take on youth homelessness this summer by launching a 100-Days Challenge to accelerate efforts to end youth homelessness.
The Palm Beach County Community Services Department and Division of Human and Veteran Services will be setting ambitious goals to meet this challenge to help end homelessness among young people in the community.
This work is made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and private philanthropic partners. Rapid Results Institute (RRI) and HomeBase will offer technical support to each community as they strive to meet their goals.
With just 100 days to meet the goal of housing 100 homeless youth, ages 18 to 24, everyone from community leaders to front-line workers are invited to do their work differently, change systems and innovate. The limited time frame, high-profile effort, and intensive support from RRI will result in Palm Beach County progressing on three major tasks: problem solving, innovation, and partnership-building in the name of ending homelessness for our young people.
The 100-Days Challenge gives Palm Beach County the opportunity to refine and build upon the strides that have been made to end youth homelessness. Through the support of the Rapid Results Institute, A Way Home America, and the department’s partner agencies, we will move quickly to implement youth systems and housing opportunities that will place 100 homeless youth over the next 100 days, while continuing coordinated response and entry for youth who are homelessness long after the challenge period has ended.
Palm Beach County’s homeless youth population has increased dramatically in the past two years. The latest Point-in-Time Homeless Count, conducted in January, shows a 69 percent increase. Several factors contribute to youth homelessness including aging out of state care, parental addiction, sexual preference, and mental illness.
