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YHSI Grant Application

Project Description

In the winter of 2023, during my foundation practicum with the Maricopa Association of Governments and the Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care (CoC), I identified and led the application for the Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) Grant offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). I understood the grant's potential to build regional capacity, enhance coordination for youth homelessness services, and strengthen future federal funding applications, and I coordinated a collaborative submission involving Arizona’s three CoCs: Maricopa, Tucson-Pima, and Balance of State. This initiative aimed to establish foundational structures and partnerships to benefit youth and young adults experiencing homelessness statewide.
The YHSI grant aimed to break down systemic silos and improve collaboration among systems serving homeless youth. Our application strategically addressed HUD’s four funding categories: planning and partnerships, data, coordinated entry, and racial and gender equity. These categories informed our four primary goals:
Developing statewide partnerships to address youth homelessness.
Creating system parity across the CoCs.
Establishing career pathways for youth within the homeless response system.
Hosting a statewide conference on youth homelessness.
The application process involved outreach to secure partnerships, obtaining letters of support and commitment, milestone planning, and budgeting. Youth Action Boards from Maricopa and Tucson-Pima CoCs, composed of youth with lived experiences of homelessness, provided oversight, input, and approval of all proposed activities and goals.
The YHSI grant explicitly serves youth and young adults experiencing homelessness across Arizona, with a focus on populations disproportionately impacted, including Black, Native American, Latin@, and queer youth. Data on these disparities guided the strategic direction of the grant, ensuring targeted support and inclusive initiatives addressing racial, ethnic, and gender inequities.

My Roles and Responsibilities

I led this project from initiation through submission, receiving support from system partners for reviewing the application and guidance on best practices for federal grant applications. My specific contributions included:
Facilitator: Initiated the grant application, coordinated statewide collaboration, and structured the project's framework and goals.
Fundraiser: Authored the comprehensive 25-page grant narrative, articulating clear program goals aligned with HUD's priorities.
Communicator: Managed stakeholder outreach, securing both partner commitments and letters of support.
Organizer: Developed detailed project milestones, budgets, and timelines, facilitating organized feedback loops and ensuring partner engagement.
Advocate: Ensured authentic representation and leadership by Youth Action Boards, embedding participatory and inclusive practices throughout the application and proposed activities.
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Project Artifacts

The following artifacts illustrate my contributions:

1. YHSI Grant Application

25-page narrative responding to HUD’s Notice of Funding Opportunity.
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2. Budget Document

Workbook detailing the funding request categorizing expenses aligned with HUD’s funding priorities.
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3. Planning Document

Document outlining the goals, actions, and writing timeline of the grant, providing partners with a quick look at the writing plan and the ability to edit the direction of the application before its writing.
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