SAN FRANCISCO—The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) has awarded a grant for $2.9 million to the city of San Francisco. The grant will go toward aiding the growing problem of youth homelessness in the city.

San Francisco has the highest rate of homelessness for unaccompanied minors, followed by Las Vegas based on 2016 statistics. Those numbers do not include minors living on the streets with a parent or guardian.

Other areas across the country were selected for grants in fighting homelessness in the U.S. including Indianapolis, New Orleans, King County, Chicago, Austin, and the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Illinois. San Francisco is one of the six urban areas receiving aid. Of 130 applicants, only 10 communities were selected for the aid that totals $33 million.

The grant proposal and application was a group effort and is now celebrated by organizations all over San Francisco, including members at the Larkin Street Youth Services.

Many folks on the team here at Larkin Street, as well young people in our services, participated in the planning meetings that the City convened while developing the proposal,” stated Larkin Street Youth Services on their website.