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 more than 700 young people since opening in December 2015. In 2021 (PDF), Y2Y served 102 unique guests.
- Over sixty-nine percent of guest were youth of color
- Sixty percent met the definition of chronic homelessness
- Fifty percent had experience in the foster care system (DSS/DCF)
- Thirty-six percent of guests identified as LGBTQIA+
Seventy percent of guests report leaving Y2Y on a pathway out of homelessness.