Mere days after Mayor Cherelle Parker presented her budget proposal, nonprofit providers and young people involved in a School District of Philadelphia homelessness initiative gathered across the street from City Hall to advocate for funding.
Money for the initiative – a partnership between the district and Valley Youth House, Eddie’s House and HopePHL – runs out in June. The organizations are asking for $1.5 million annually over three years to continue identifying and assisting housing insecure students at dozens of schools.
“We shouldn’t have to be here today,” said David Fair, co-chair of the Philly Homes 4 Youth Coalition, which has been pushing lawmakers to provide a permanent funding source for the partnership for years.
The program began at the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year, when district leaders contracted with the three nonprofits using $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars specifically earmarked for homeless young people.
After that funding was exhausted, and following a similar advocacy campaign, the Board of Education approved $2.3 million in one-time spending to keep the initiative going through the end of the current school year.
During a panel discussion Tuesday, Diego, 21, said Valley Youth House helped him find a place to live and enroll in the Job Corps. Program participants requested that their last names not be published.
“I thought I could never achieve anything because I was going through that homelessness,” he said. “I feel better about myself achieving certain goals.”
Jada, a 24-year-old mom, recounted how she faced homelessness due to a domestic violence situation. Eddie’s House guided her through enrolling in school – she never received a diploma – and covered the security deposit for her new home.
“I don’t have no family,” Jada added. “So when I’m going through stuff, I call the Eddie’s House staff.”
Staff from City Council and the Mayor’s Office attended Tuesday’s event, which was billed as a housing symposium and held at the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation’s Centre Square conference room.
“Every year, we’re in constant negotiations as it relates to city budgets, school district budgets, state budgets, federal budgets, and far too often, issues related to young people are brushed under the rug,” Councilmember Isaiah Thomas told the crowd. “It’s not just homelessness; it’s young people in general.”
Each of the three agencies operates their program slightly differently, although all provide a suite of on-site services, including case management, housing assistance, counseling, eviction prevention and help with uniforms and transportation.
Providers described the work as a mix of intervention and prevention. Unlike most homeless services programs, the partnership also serves young people who are “doubled up” or “couch surfing.”
While the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development does not define those types of arrangements as being homeless, the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act does count students in those situations.
McKinney-Vento requires school districts nationwide to identify and remove barriers facing homeless young people through age 21. The nonprofits say the partnership has helped the district fulfill those obligations.
Combined, the three programs have served a total of 2,000 students and helped 200 households resolve their housing crises since launching less than two years ago, representatives from the organizations said.
More than 10,000 students were identified through the district’s homelessness office in 2023, the most recent year for which finalized data is available. That represented a 19% increase from the year prior. About 80% of the young people were classified as being doubled-up.
An analysis published by Valley Youth House found that its version of the program – Synergy in Schools – saved the city $2.68 for every dollar spent, through money that did not have to be appropriated through the shelter, child welfare and criminal justice systems.
“This is not the solution to our housing crisis in Philadelphia, but it’s a piece of it,” Alyssa Weinfurtner, the organization’s director of emergency services, said during Tuesday’s discussion.
