Host homes have their roots in community care practices and are more than simply housing youth. Host homes are a living arrangement where a community member with space in their home offers a shared living space to a young person experiencing housing instability. Host home programs and community volunteers seek to build authentic relationships that create a more profound sense of belonging for youth who have experienced disruption to their stability.
Host home programs build upon the cultural wisdom of caring for one another that thrives within 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and communities of color. The primary goal of a host home program is to provide a safe, welcoming, space for young people to organize their pathway to exiting homelessness on their terms.
Short-term host homes may provide 6+ months of housing where the young person has time to safely consider their next steps toward their future goals (while also recognizing that 6 months isn’t a very long time to prepare.) With the support of engaged providers who unconditionally offer support that young people believe will help them to flourish.
A host home provides a safe and inviting living space that affirms and trusts young people. Successful host home programs are simple and flexible, highlighting the ability to create individualized interventions. Healthy hosting relationships focus on reciprocity, listening, and trust-building. Hosts honor the independence of participants while supporting and respecting the boundaries they set related to safety and well-being. They create space and provide support for participants to learn how to navigate and resolve their own challenges rather than telling them what to do. Young people may be offered optional support services, however, they are not a requirement for participation. Host programs are youth-centered, flexible to be individualized, and scalable (able to expand and grow in reach).
Successful implementations of short-term host homes have generally been volunteer-based programs, with stays lasting from three to six months; other successful implementations have been created with flexibility to address community needs that have existed in the short-term housing system. Providing short-term host homes is a costeffective and successful model for preventing youth homelessness in a wide range of cases.
