Y2Y Interrupts the Cycle of Homelessness for Young Adults
Y2Y Harvard Square is building student-led programming to interrupt the cycle of homelessness for a generation of young adults. We committed $500,000 to help make its overnight shelter a reality.
Y2Y employs a youth-to-youth model to provide a safe and affirming environment for young adults ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness.
Its guests have opportunities to collaborate with service providers, other youth experiencing homelessness, and student volunteers to create sustainable pathways out of homelessness and to develop skills for long-term success.
Y2Y has more than doubled the number of easily accessible shelter beds specifically for young adults ages 18-24 in Greater Boston.
Y2Y Harvard Square has 27 beds, allowing it to serve almost 500 unique guests since opening in December 2015. From October 2018 to August 2019 (PDF), Y2Y served 199 unique guests with an average age of 21.5:
- Eighty-three percent of guests were from Massachusetts
- Fifty-two percent met the definition of chronic homelessness
- Thirty-seven percent were in the foster care system (DSS/DCF)
- Thirty-one percent of guests identified as LGBTQIA+
Seventy percent of guests report leaving Y2Y on a pathway out of homelessness.