Fulton County Awarded $2 Million for Youth Homelessness System Improvement Grant
Fulton County Awarded $2 Million for Youth Homelessness System Improvement Grant
Fulton County Community Development is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) initiative. This grant will be utilized over a 30-month period to establish and implement a comprehensive youth homelessness response system in Fulton County.
The YHSI grant will enable Fulton County to develop systemic changes through projects that:
• Create and build capacity for Youth Action Boards.
• Collect and use data on at-risk youth and youth experiencing homelessness.
• Develop strong leadership within the community.
• Improve coordination, communication, operation, and administration of homeless assistance projects to better serve youth, including prevention and diversion strategies.
The grant aims to foster connections, coordination, and information sharing within and between systems that serve at-risk youth, including education, child welfare, and juvenile justice. The primary focus areas include planning and partnerships, upgrading the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for better data collection and reporting, and establishing youth-specific coordinated entry points and procedures, such as mobile coordinated entry services. Additionally, the grant will support community-wide racial and gender equity analysis, and the development and evaluation of frameworks including LGBTQIA+ equity.
“We are honored to receive this significant grant from HUD. This funding will enable us to build a resilient and equitable homelessness response system for our youth, addressing their needs comprehensively and collaboratively”, said Stanley Wilson, Director of Fulton County Community Development. “By working with our key partners and leveraging this grant, we aim to create a lasting impact on the lives of at-risk youth in our community.”
Key grant partners include the Fulton County Continuum of Care (CoC), Partners for Home (Atlanta Continuum of Care), Pathways Community Network Institute, and the Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center.