No young person should ever experience homelessness. Yet each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth, young adults, and young parents experience homelessness in the United States.

No young person should ever experience homelessness. Yet each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth, young adults, and young parents experience homelessness in the United States.

In Washington, D.C., NN4Y works to prevent and end youth, young adult, and young parent homelessness through better policy, regulations, and increased funding for federal programs that serve young people. Our policy priorities are driven by:

Targeted Legislation: The 119th Congress

This page was last updated in February 2026.

S.2012 / H.R.3856

RHYTPA reauthorizes and updates the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which funds community-based organizations that serve youth, young adults, and young parents experiencing homelessness. Key components of RHYTPA include:

  • Prioritizing outreach and extending transitional housing and supportive services to survivors of sexual abuse, exploitation, and/or trafficking.
  • Requiring staff training on human trafficking, trauma, sexual abuse, and assault.
  • Allowing grantees the option of applying for an additional $75,000 to provide services to prevent young people and families in their community from experiencing homelessness.
  • Extending the allowable length of stay in short-term crisis housing for minors from 21 to 30 days (or longer as state law allows).
  • Increasing the eligible age for transitional housing services from 22 to 25 years old, while still prioritizing youth under 22 years old.

Learn more about RHYTPA + take action.

NN4Y supports increased funding for a number of federal programs that support youth, young adults, and young parents experiencing homelessness. Our top-priority Fiscal Year 2027 funding requests are:

  • $304 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program administered by HHS.
  • $200 million for the Education for the Homeless Children and Youth program administered by ED.
  • $100 million for the Youth Homeless Demonstration Program administered by HUD, plus bill text updates.
  • $25 million for the Youth Homelessness System Improvement grants administered by HUD.

Learn more about federal appropriations + take action.

S.1667 / H.R.6403

HCYA aligns the definition of homelessness across federal agencies so that all children, youth, young adults, and young parents experiencing homelessness can be assessed for the assistance they need. It also increases the visibility of children, youth, young adults, and young parents experiencing homelessness through better data transparency and more accurate counts.

Learn more about HCYA + take action.

H.R.7278 in the 118th Congress

Due to an eligibility limitation for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, full-time college students who are or have experienced homelessness, including veterans, are not eligible for LIHTC rental housing. HHSA is a no-cost fix that would allow youth experiencing homelessness who are pursuing a full-time college education to access LIHTC housing.

Learn more about HHSA + take action.

A National Agenda Prevent and End Youth, Young Adult, and Young Parent Family Homelessness

This agenda makes targeted, high-impact recommendations to prevent and end homelessness for youth, young adults, and young parent families.

Only when we remove the conditions in our society that make young people vulnerable to homelessness, listen to those with lived experience, and center equity, can our nation become a world leader in ending homelessness.