Addressing Youth Homelessness with BYU

Youth homelessness represents one of the most urgent social challenges facing Utah communities. The collaboration between OUTreach Resource Centers and Brigham Young University (BYU) researchers has been instrumental in understanding and addressing the unique factors contributing to LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in the state.

This partnership brought together direct service expertise and academic research capabilities to develop evidence-based interventions that have helped countless young people find safety, stability, and support during periods of housing insecurity.

Understanding the Scope of the Challenge

Research conducted through the BYU partnership revealed alarming statistics about youth homelessness in Utah, particularly among LGBTQ+ populations. While LGBTQ+ youth represent approximately 5-7% of the general youth population, studies found they comprised up to 40% of homeless youth in the state.

This disproportionate representation pointed to specific risk factors that needed to be addressed, including family rejection, religious conflict, school bullying, and lack of affirming services in rural communities. The research helped identify geographic hotspots where intervention resources were most urgently needed.

Perhaps most importantly, the partnership helped document the connections between homelessness and other risk factors for LGBTQ+ youth, including suicidal ideation, substance abuse, educational disruption, and vulnerability to exploitation. This holistic understanding informed the development of comprehensive intervention strategies.

The Safe and Sound Host Home Program

Based on research findings, OUTreach and BYU collaborators developed the Safe and Sound Host Home Program, an innovative approach to youth homelessness that focused on prevention and early intervention rather than crisis response alone. This program became a model for addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in religiously conservative communities.

The program identified youth at risk of homelessness before they lost housing stability and connected them with trained host families who could provide temporary safe housing. This early intervention approach prevented many young people from experiencing street homelessness and its associated traumas.

Equally important was the program’s focus on family reconciliation where appropriate. Trained counselors worked with families to address conflicts related to LGBTQ+ identity, helping parents and youth develop communication skills and mutual understanding. In many cases, these interventions allowed youth to return to safer home environments.

Training Host Families and Support Networks

The partnership developed comprehensive training protocols for host families, ensuring they had the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support LGBTQ+ youth during housing transitions. This training covered topics including trauma-informed care, cultural competency, boundary setting, and connecting youth with community resources.

Host families received ongoing support through regular check-ins, support groups, and access to professional consultation when challenges arose. This support network ensured that both youth and host families had the resources needed for successful placements.

The program also engaged broader community support networks, including schools, healthcare providers, religious organizations, and social service agencies. These collaborative relationships created comprehensive safety nets for youth navigating housing instability.

Educational Continuity and Achievement

Research consistently shows that housing instability significantly disrupts educational progress, with each school change resulting in an estimated 4-6 months of lost academic progress. The partnership between OUTreach and BYU placed particular emphasis on maintaining educational continuity for youth experiencing housing transitions.

This work included advocating for youth rights under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which guarantees educational access and stability for students experiencing homelessness. Program staff helped youth navigate school enrollment processes, access transportation, and secure necessary educational supplies.

Beyond basic access, the partnership developed tutoring and academic support services tailored to the needs of youth who had experienced educational disruption. These services helped many participants not only maintain enrollment but achieve academic success despite challenging circumstances.

Mental Health Support and Trauma Recovery

The psychological impacts of homelessness and family rejection can be profound, particularly for LGBTQ+ youth who may face multiple forms of marginalization. The partnership between OUTreach and BYU researchers developed specialized mental health interventions designed for this population.

These interventions included individual counseling, support groups, and crisis intervention services delivered by professionals with specific training in LGBTQ+ youth issues. The approach emphasized both immediate stabilization and longer-term healing from trauma related to rejection and housing instability.

Research conducted through the partnership helped identify protective factors that supported resilience among LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. These findings informed strength-based approaches that built on youth capabilities rather than focusing exclusively on deficits and challenges.

Pathways to Independence

For older youth who could not return to family homes, the partnership developed pathways to sustainable independence. These included life skills training, employment preparation, housing assistance, and ongoing support during the transition to adulthood.

The program connected youth with educational opportunities ranging from high school completion to college enrollment, vocational training, and apprenticeship programs. These educational pathways created foundations for long-term stability and career development.

Employment support services helped participants overcome barriers to workforce entry, including resume development, interview preparation, professional clothing assistance, and workplace rights education. Many participants secured stable employment that allowed them to establish independent housing.

Policy Development and Systems Change

Beyond direct services to individual youth, the partnership between OUTreach and BYU researchers contributed to broader policy development and systems change efforts. Research findings informed testimony to state legislators, school boards, and other decision-makers about the needs of homeless LGBTQ+ youth.

These advocacy efforts led to several significant policy changes, including improved protocols for youth shelters, expanded definitions of eligible youth in state service systems, and increased funding for prevention-focused interventions rather than crisis response alone.

The partnership also developed training resources for schools, healthcare providers, and social service agencies on identifying and supporting LGBTQ+ youth at risk of homelessness. These resources helped create more responsive systems across multiple sectors.

Community Education and Engagement

Addressing youth homelessness requires broad community understanding and engagement. The partnership developed public education campaigns that helped community members understand the realities of youth homelessness, dispelling myths and stereotypes that often prevented effective intervention.

These campaigns emphasized the role that ordinary community members could play in supporting youth stability, from becoming host families to providing employment opportunities, mentorship, and material support. This community mobilization created networks of support beyond formal service systems.

Religious communities were specifically engaged through dialogue sessions that built bridges between faith values and supporting vulnerable youth. These conversations helped create more inclusive faith communities where LGBTQ+ youth could find spiritual support without rejection.

The Continuing Impact

The collaborative model developed through the OUTreach and BYU partnership has influenced approaches to youth homelessness across the country, particularly in communities where religious and LGBTQ+ identities are often perceived as conflicting. The emphasis on prevention, family reconciliation, and community-based solutions has proven both effective and cost-efficient.

Most importantly, the partnership demonstrated that diverse stakeholders could work together effectively on behalf of vulnerable youth, finding common ground in shared concern for youth wellbeing despite differences in other areas. This collaborative approach continues to inform work on youth homelessness in Utah and beyond.

For those interested in learning more about youth homelessness prevention and intervention, additional information about OUTreach’s history and approach can be found on our about page.

The True Colors United organization provides extensive resources on addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness through systemic change and direct service approaches.