Cuyahoga County announced Monday two new requests for proposals to help address youth homelessness – one to create a new housing program and another to create a team of coordinators to help young people navigate systems of assistance.
The County’s Office of Homeless Services and several partners said in a news release that they’re seeking organizations to run those two new programs to be funded by a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The housing program – which would receive about $3.1 million from the grant – will provide permanent and “transitional” (temporary) housing for people 18-24 experiencing housing instability. That will mean housing for up to two years in a site yet-to-be-chosen that will involve additional help moving those young people to more permanent housing. That program will also offer “rapid rehousing,” with rental assistance for up to a maximum of three years in addition to other support services.
Meanwhile, the team of coordinators – called the navigation and housing team, which will receive almost $870,000 – will be a group of six who will help young people experiencing homelessness navigate the process of finding housing, the request for proposals reads, and who will also provide wraparound services and financial aid while they do so (covering phone bills or transportation, for example).
A Place 4 Me – an initiative through the YWCA of Greater Cleveland to end youth homelessness – and the REACH Youth Action Board – a board of advocates who have experienced housing insecurity – are both project partners. Youth Action Board member Kourtney Morgan said in the news release that young people with those experiences will be the ones reviewing proposals.
“These projects will be co-designed with (those young people) and make sure we have leaders who represent us in implementing them, demonstrating that (they) can be in those positions too if we wanted to,” Morgan said.
The county in its request for proposals said the grant funds are meant to keep the programs operating for two years, although the county says it “anticipates” each project will be renewed on a one-year basis after those first two years.
Typically, these kinds of grants require a 25% match in funds from recipients operating the programs; that requirement has been waived, the request for proposals reads, but the county will still require proof of the organization’s ability to match the funding received.
Chris Anderson, another Reach Youth Action Board member, said in the release that these projects will help move the county toward ending the problem of youth homelessness. Roughly 500 young people come into contact with Cuyahoga County’s homelessness services each year, although the total number is likely higher, according to the county’s plan to end youth homelessness.
“The transitional housing will help (young people) build skills, and rapid rehousing will give (them) the support they need to achieve financial, social-emotional, and well-being goals, preparing them for adulthood,” Anderson said.
The deadline for proposals to be submitted is Aug. 14.
