Statewide Projects & Initiatives

Youth-led work happening across Tennessee.

Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI)

The YHSI initiative is the backbone of Tennessee’s coordinated approach to youth homelessness. Led by the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition in partnership with CoCs statewide, YHSI supports systems-level change driven by youth voice. Current focus areas include strengthening YAAB representation across all 8 CoC regions, ensuring youth have a seat at the table in Coordinated Entry design and evaluation, building statewide training and advocacy infrastructure for youth leaders, and connecting local YAABs into a unified statewide network so young people across Tennessee can learn from each other and speak with one collective voice.

YHSI also coordinates the Statewide YAAB — a body of youth representatives from across Tennessee’s CoC regions who advise on policy, programs, and priorities at the state level.

Link: Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition

TN-500: Chattanooga / Southeast Tennessee

Chattanooga was one of the first Tennessee communities selected for HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP), receiving $2,285,501 in funding. Now in its second year of implementation, the results have been significant — a 35% decrease in youth homelessness between 2024 and 2025, with homeless youth ages 18–24 dropping from 81 to 53.

The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults is a key service provider in the region, operating the River City Youth Collective — which provides transitional housing and supervised independent living for youth ages 14–24, along with mentoring, life skills training, counseling, and support for youth aging out of foster care.

The TN-500 YAAB operates as a six-member advisory board to the CoC, with each member bringing personal experience to help shape how YHDP funds are distributed and services are designed. The 2025 Point-in-Time Count identified 1,092 people experiencing homelessness across the 11-county region, with approximately 60% unsheltered — underscoring the ongoing need for youth-focused investment.

Important: The FY2025 HUD CoC NOFO has introduced significant structural changes, including reduced Tier 1 protected funding and a 30% cap on permanent housing investments. YHDP and DV Bonus renewals are no longer protected categories and must compete nationally. This makes continued community investment and advocacy more critical than ever.

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TN-501: Memphis / Shelby County

Memphis/Shelby County was selected for YHDP Round 4/5 in 2021, receiving $3.8 million to design and implement innovative housing programs for youth ages 18–24. Community Alliance for the Homeless (CAFTH) serves as the CoC lead agency, coordinating the entire effort.

The Memphis Youth Action Board has been central to every stage — from helping write the YHDP application that secured the funding, to participating in weekly planning sessions that produced the Coordinated Community Plan, to partnering with organizations like OUTMemphis for community engagement and outreach to LGBTQ+ youth.

One of the flagship programs is the Youth System Navigation Program, which assigns every eligible youth a dedicated navigator who provides individualized safety and service plans, mobile case management, and connections to housing. Five Youth Navigators are stationed at different community agencies across Memphis, with a Housing Navigator at CAFTH focused on recruiting landlords and expanding affordable youth housing options.

OUTMemphis runs the Metamorphosis Project — the region’s largest program addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, including transitional housing, rapid re-housing, and the region’s only LGBTQ+ youth-specific emergency center.

The Memphis YAB is open to youth ages 17–25 with lived experience, and actively prioritizes applicants with intersectional identities including LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and gender-nonconforming youth. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

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TN-507: Jackson / West Tennessee

Jackson/West Tennessee covers a massive 23-county rural region, ranging from 7,000 residents in Lake County to nearly 100,000 in Madison County. This CoC has been recognized nationally by the National Alliance to End Homelessness for its housing-focused approach to unsheltered homelessness.

The YHDP-funded youth team includes three housing navigators specifically focused on youth, covering every county in the region through geographic-based assignments. These navigators have built relationships with churches, school systems, law enforcement, and landlords — which is critical in rural communities where formal housing resources are scarce. Youth can access up to six months of rental arrears through YHDP funding.

YAB members played a hands-on role in the 2024 Point-in-Time Count and identified twice as many youth as expected — proving that youth outreach workers find young people that traditional counts miss. The YAB also contributed to the Coordinated Community Plan that guides all YHDP investments in the region.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness spotlight on Jackson/West TN highlighted that strong cross-agency collaboration and positive landlord relationships are key to unlocking housing in a tight rural market. The CoC’s approach emphasizes listening to people with lived experience to maximize limited funds.

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Non-YHDP CoC Regions: The Work Ahead

Five Tennessee CoC regions — TN-502 (Knoxville), TN-503 (Central TN), TN-504 (Nashville), TN-506 (Upper Cumberland), and TN-509 (Northeast TN) — have not yet received YHDP funding. But youth homelessness exists in every region, and the Statewide YAAB is working to ensure that every CoC has a functioning Youth Action Board and that youth voice is included in system planning regardless of YHDP status.

Key goals for non-YHDP regions include establishing or strengthening local YAABs, incorporating youth feedback into Coordinated Entry processes, building partnerships between CoCs, schools, and youth-serving agencies, and preparing future YHDP applications with strong youth engagement from the start.

Research, Data & Ongoing Work

The Statewide YAAB supports ongoing efforts including:

Annual Point-in-Time Counts — Youth-led outreach has proven to find more young people than traditional methods. YAAB members participate across multiple CoC regions.
Youth-Led System Assessments — YAAB members evaluate whether services are accessible, respectful, and effective from a youth perspective.
Coordinated Entry Feedback — Youth provide direct input on whether the front door to the homeless services system is actually working for young people.
Data & Storytelling — Combining quantitative data with qualitative youth testimony to make the case for sustained investment.

Check the Calendar & Events page for upcoming conferences, training opportunities, and statewide advocacy events.

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