The YMCA of San Diego County is a recipient of the Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grant program, which is designed to help communities improve systems infrastructure that aim to reduce youth homelessness. The YMCA has partnered with the Youth and Allies Against Homelessness (YAAH) lab as an evaluation partner to inform improvements in policies and practices.
The main objectives of the YHSI evaluation are to establish a cross-sector workgroup, providing a space for stakeholders who have direct knowledge of how different systems related to youth homelessness can coordinate with each other. The evaluation seeks to develop and standardize compensation guidelines for youth participating in project activities to ensure they are fairly recognized for their contributions. Lastly, the evaluation will analyze variations in service access, coordination, and outcomes across the youth homelessness response system using Stella Performance data, a cross-sector survey, and sector-specific focus groups.