May 7, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced the Homeless Children and Youth Act (HCYA). This bipartisan legislation would support the 4.2 million youth and young adults experiencing homelessness each year in the United States and ensure that all individuals experiencing homelessness are given the support they need to exit homelessness for good. HCYA expands the definition of homelessness to ensure children and youth are eligible for services to help them exit homelessness. It also requires annual data to be collected and published on homeless children, youth, and families and ensures communities can direct funding in an effective way to prevent and end homelessness.
“I am proud to be working alongside Senator Britt to introduce the Homeless Children and Youth Act to ensure all children experiencing homelessness can get the support they need to exit homelessness for good. This legislation will begin to close the barrier to services for many young families and is a true action to one of my guiding principles: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ HCYA is an important step in ending homelessness in our communities and breaking generational cycles,” said Senator Alsobrooks.
“The Homeless Children and Youth Act is commonsense legislation that would simply streamline the definition of homelessness across federal agencies. No child should be prevented from receiving the critical assistance they need due to unnecessary barriers. Alongside Senator Alsobrooks, I’m grateful to work to ensure our communities can better address the needs of homeless children and youth,” said Senator Britt.
“With this legislation, programs like ours could serve these youth immediately upon experiencing homelessness. Shortening a young person’s period of homelessness by providing immediate support increases the likelihood that the youth will remain connected to school. We know that youth who do not graduate from high school are significantly more likely to experience homelessness as adults, making this an early intervention to prevent adult homelessness,” said Melissa Muntz, Executive Director, Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP) of Frederick County, Maryland.
“We strongly urge support for the Homeless Children and Youth Act. This legislation takes an essential step toward addressing youth homelessness by harmonizing the definition of homelessness across federal agencies. Doing so will eliminate barriers to federal assistance and ensure that at-risk children, youth, and families have equitable access to the services they desperately need…We thank Senators Alsobrooks and Britt for co-sponsoring this vital legislation and stand ready to support its swift passage to better serve our nation’s youth,” said Angela Jones Hackley, Chief Executive Officer, Covenant House Greater Washington, Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Full text of the Homeless Children and Youth Act can be found by clicking here.
Read more in Fox News here.
Endorsements for the Homeless Children and Youth Act Include:
National Network for Youth
SchoolHouse Connection
American Association of School Administrators
Aerschool Alliance
Alliance for Excellent Education
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Bar Association
American Federation of Teachers
A Way Home America
Bassuk Center on Homeless and Vulnerable Children and Youth
Boys Town
C4 Innovations
Campaign for Youth Justice
Center for Policy Research
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Child Welfare League of America
Children’s Advocacy Institute
Children’s Health Fund
Children’s Home Society of America
Citygate Network
Closeknit
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Covenant House International
Earth Evolution
Education Navigation, LLC
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Every Child Matters
Family Centered Treatment Foundation
Family Focused Treatment Association
Family Promise
First Focus Campaign for Children
Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice
Healthy Teen Network
HEAR US Inc.
IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association
MA Global Solutions
Me, Myself & I
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health
National Association of Counsel for Children
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Center for Housing and Child Welfare
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Coalition for Homelessness Solutions
National Crittenton Foundation
National Diaper Bank Network
National Education Association
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National Network for Youth
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Network to End Family Homelessness
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
National PTA
National Runaway Safeline
National Title I Association
National WIC Association
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Point Source Youth
Primo Center for Women and Children
Provincial Council Clerics of St. Viator (Viatorians)
Public Advocacy for Kids
Public Citizen
Salaam Legal Network & Citizens
SchoolHouse Connection
School Social Work Association of America
St. Vincent de Paul
StandUp For Kids
The Ray E. Helfer Society
The Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
United Methodist Women
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
The National Association of Social Workers
Advocates for Children and Youth, Maryland
Family Healthcare of Hagerstown, Maryland
PeterCares House, Maryland
Sasha Bruce Youthworks, Maryland
Youth As Resources, Maryland
Youth Empowered Society (YES) Drop-In Center, Maryland
Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP) of Frederick County, Maryland
St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth & Families, Maryland
Wilcome Human Services, Inc., Maryland
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