ASSOCIATION HISTORY
The New York City
Association of Homeless and Street-Involved Youth Organizations evolved
out of began as two separate groups in 1996. The National Development
Research Institute had convened a body of providers during its
Youth-At-Risk Study to help guide the research and the Empire State
Coalition of Youth and Family Services, through a New York City
Department of Youth and Community Development grant, was meeting with
providers to discuss technical assistance and training needs. The two
groups merged to continue to look at the needs and issues facing
homeless youth and homeless youth providers. The member agencies agreed
that their work should not only focus on specific tasks but also
brainstorm as a group, process problems and educate both internally and
externally. As a result, in 2002, the original Task Force voted to
change their name to better reflect the work they conducted. The group
settled upon and voted in favor of changing the name to the New York
City Association of Homeless and Street-Involved Youth Organizations and
formally requested that the Empire State Coalition manage administrative
and organizational efforts.
The New York City
Association of Homeless and Street-Involved Youth Organizations is now a
coalition of service providers, organizations and youth. We believe that
by coordinating our services, planning strategies and speaking in a
unified voice, we can both advocate for and more effectively respond to
the needs of homeless and street-oriented youth in the New York
metropolitan area. Our members are dedicated to mobilizing our
respective expertise and resources to assist homeless and
street-oriented youth to lead safe, healthy and self-empowered lives.
The Association’s Definition of Homeless
Adolescents:
“A person under the age of 24 years who is need of services and is
without a permanent place of shelter, where support and care are
available. These individuals do not have a consistent and/or viable
housing resource.”
NYCTFHY Goals:
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Promote youth leadership and involvement in
the decision-making process of the Association.
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Advocate for funding and policies.
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Inform and educate service providers
concerning policy.
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Establish and promote standards of service
provision that reduce the risks and dangers associated with homelessness
and street life.
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Assess and identify service gaps and needs on
an on-going basis.
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Increase our visibility as youth-serving
organizations to disenfranchised youth, and to the public and private
sectors.
ASSOCIATION PARTICIPANTS
The Association is a membership coalition of organizations serving
homeless youth. The following youth-serving agencies provide the full
continuum of services to homeless youth from shelter and transitional
living to outreach, legal, job, medical and supportive services. The
following is a list of our current participant agencies (in alphabetical
order):
Ali Forney Center
Berkshire Plaza
Callen-Lorde Health Center/Health Outreach to Teens
Covenant House
The Door
Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services*
Green Chimneys
Greenwich Village Youth Council/The New Neutral Zone
Hetrick-Martin Institute
Korean Youth Center of New York
Lawyers for Children, Inc.
The National Development Research Institute
The New York Children’s Health Project
NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project
Promesa
St. Christopher-Ottilie Services
Safe Horizon’s Streetwork Project
Safe Space
Sylvia’s Place
Urban Justice Center-Peter Cicchino Youth Project
Women In Community Service-Youth Division.
* Oversees administrative and organizational management
