NCFY Recommends: Video on Host Homes for LGBT Youth Featuring Commissioner Samuels

The host home program for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth run by Family and Youth Services Bureau grantee Avenues for Homeless Youth was spotlighted in a recent PBS video, "Feels Like Home: Helping Homeless LGBT Youth."

The Minneapolis, MI, program has placed over 100 youth in temporary homes since it started in the late 1990s. Volunteer host families welcome youth into their homes for an average of 8 months after going through extensive training and background checks. The program has become the prototype for a handful of similar programs around the country.

The video features Program Coordinator Rocki Simões, a host and youth brought together by the program, and Commissioner Bryan Samuels of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, who speaks about ACYF's commitment to better serving LGBT youth.

The National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that 1 in 5 homeless youth identifies as LGBT.

Additional Resources:

Bright Idea: With Training, Host Homes Offer LGBT Youth a Safe Harbor

Host Homes for Native American Youth: Finding a Future in Tribal Traditions