The California HHAP has been one of the most effective tools in the country for getting young people off the streets. But youth homelessness is growing nationwide, and the funding behind California progress is now at risk.
Across the country, more young people are losing their homes every year. In California, that number was finally going down — but the program that made it happen is now at risk of losing its funding. Youth homelessness in California dropped 24% between 2019 and 2024. Researchers say the main reason is that California started putting real money into programs built specifically for young people.
That kind of progress is not happening in most other states. The program behind it is called HHAP: the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program. Right now, state leaders in Sacramento are deciding whether to keep funding it. What they choose will determine whether California holds onto this progress or loses it.
What California’s HHAP Program Has Done
California started setting aside 5% of homelessness funding specifically for youth in 2018. By 2021, that share had grown to 10%. Over the same period, the state put about $5 billion into HHAP since the program launched in 2019. The program sends money to all 58 counties, the state’s largest cities, and 44 regional planning groups. Each of them is required to put at least 10% of those dollars toward young people.
HHAP-funded programs have reached more than 50,000 young people through rent help, transitional housing, prevention services, and support programs. Experts say California is closer than it has ever been to what advocates call “functional zero” — meaning fewer young people experiencing homelessness than the state has room to house in a single month. That milestone has already been reached in smaller communities like Abilene, Texas, and among veterans in Philadelphia. It is within reach in California too, but only if the funding continues.
For the first time since HHAP launched, the 2025-26 state budget included no new funding for the program. In June, the California State Legislature passed a bill, AB 109, that would put $900 million into HHAP for 2026-27 and keep at least $80 million set aside for youth services. Governor Newsom’s proposal would provide $500 million instead and change how local governments have to match the funds. The difference between those two numbers makes a difference for whether California’s progress on youth homelessness survives.
How Many Young People Are Experiencing Homelessness in America?
The scale of this problem is hard to fully picture without knowing the numbers.
Every night, an estimated 4.2 million young adults experience homelessness somewhere in the United States. And it is getting worse, not better. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of young people experiencing homelessness on their own (without a parent or guardian) rose by 10%, reaching 38,170, according to HUD’s 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report.
During 2024, 148,238 people experiencing homelessness were under the age of 18. That is a 33% increase from the year before, which is the largest single-year jump of any age group. California is one of the few places in the country where the numbers have been moving in the right direction. That is exactly why protecting HHAP matters so much right now.
Foster Youth Are at the Center of This Crisis
Homelessness affects many different groups of young people. But young people who have been in foster care face some of the highest risk of all. The foster care system and the homelessness crisis are deeply connected. For too many young people, one leads directly to the other.
A 2024 study found that between 22% and 30% of young people who age out of foster care become homeless during the transition to adulthood. That is compared to a 4% lifetime rate for the general population. Between 31% and 46% of youth who leave foster care experience homelessness by the time they turn 26.
In California, close to 31% of foster youth who are transitioning to adulthood experience homelessness with young men being 82% more likely to become homeless. Many young people who experience homelessness after foster care say their time in the foster system is where their homelessness began.
When a young person ages out of foster care without a home, a job, or someone to call for help, homelessness is not just a possibility. For far too many, it becomes reality almost immediately. And the impact does not stop there. Research shows that half of adults experiencing chronic homelessness were first homeless before age 25. Every dollar cut from youth housing programs today will cost far more down the road—in emergency room visits, shelter beds, and interactions with the justice system.
HHAP California requires that at least 10% of its funding go specifically to young people ages 12 to 24. That requirement is one of the few things in California law that forces counties to prioritize youth. Without it, there is no guarantee they will.
LGBTQ Young People Face Even Greater Risk
Among all young people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ youth face some of the highest risks. LGBTQ+ youth are over 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. They make up as much as 40% of all youth experiencing homelessness, even though they represent only 9.5% of the overall youth population.
The foster care system plays a big role in this. More than 30% of youth currently in foster care identify as LGBTQ, compared to about 11% of youth in the general population. For many of these young people, being rejected by their family because of their identity is what brought them into care in the first place. When they age out of that care without safe, affirming housing to go to, the risk of homelessness is very high.
Resources for Young People Who Need Help Now
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness right now, help is available. Call 211 to find local shelters and housing resources right away. The National Runaway Safeline is also available 24 hours a day at 1-800-786-2929.
The federal Basic Center Program provides up to 21 days of shelter, food, clothing, medical care, and counseling to young people under 18 who are experiencing homelessness. The goal is to reconnect them with their families or find them a safe place to stay. The Transitional Living Program offers longer-term housing support for young people ages 16 to 22.
For LGBTQ youth, Covenant House runs shelters across the country that are safe and affirming. Their shelters are open 24/7 and all services are free. The Ali Forney Center is the largest organization in the country focused specifically on LGBTQ homeless youth. They provide direct services and help other organizations build better programs for LGBTQ young people.
How You Can Help
There is no single fix for youth homelessness, but there are things everyone can do. One of the most powerful is to advocate for programs like HHAP California to keep their funding. You can also volunteer with or donate to organizations that work directly with young people experiencing homelessness. And if you work in a school, hospital, faith community, or anywhere young people show up and learn to recognize the signs of housing instability and connecting people to resources early can change someone’s life.
When young people have stable housing, support, and access to education, they are more likely to finish school, find work, and build healthy futures. California has shown that real progress is possible. Now it has to choose to protect it.
Foster Love believes every young person deserves a safe place to land. If you want to be part of the solution, there are real ways to get involved today.