A recognized leader and advocate for the elimination of youth and young adult homelessness in Connecticut, Partnership for Strong Communities (PSC) believes stable housing is the bedrock upon which people build their lives and is essential for strong, vibrant communities. This funding supports PSC’s efforts to ensure young people are not criminalized for experiencing homelessness and that those who do come into contact with the justice system have access to safe, stable and secure housing upon their release. To do this, PSC will work with judicial branch staff and other state agencies to implement a housing survey for system-involved youth and use the survey’s data to inform changes in policy and practice.

To support research and data collection to document the problem of homelessness for justice-involved youth and alternatively the criminalization of homeless youth. The Partnership advocates a continuum of housing assistance options for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and the integration of housing solutions into discharge planning for youth leaving the youth justice or child welfare systems. It promotes housing stability as a critical approach for reducing recidivism and increasing diversion from both the youth and adult justice systems.

To support a research team from the Consultation Center at Yale University to interview and identify the needs of unaccompanied, homeless youth in Connecticut to better document their numbers and make policy recommendations for improved health, mental health and other services. Homeless youth are at high risk of dangerous behaviors, academic failure, mental health issues and justice involvement. The team will use a mixed methods approach, including qualitative data obtained from interviews with community and state informants, and focus groups conducted with unaccompanied children and youth. The study participants will be recruited through a snowball sampling method, with a focus on populations in Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford.