Funds Will Be Used to Divert Homelessness

Park Place Outreach, Inc., a Savannah nonprofit that provides services to at-risk youth and their families, was recently awarded the Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention Demonstration Program (RHY-PDP) grant. The grant seeks to drive local systems change, address the root causes of youth homelessness and housing insecurity, and increase equity in the targeting and delivery of services.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention Demonstration Program for this grant,” said Adriana Tatum-Howard. “It will dovetail nicely with our core programs, including our Youth Emergency Shelters, our Street Outreach Program, and our Family Always Matters program, which helps teens remain safely in their homes to sustain and maintain family stability.”

Specifically, the RHY-PDP grant will identify and address key social determinants of health before a problem or emerging crisis leads to homelessness and provide financial intervention to mitigate hardships that threaten housing security, such as rent, utilities, and transportation. It will also provide individualized case management; mental and behavioral health counseling; prosocial supports; family strengthening; and community engagement to raise awareness around mental health, the impact of chronic stress and trauma, and strategies for helping family, friends, and community members experiencing stress or trauma resulting from youth homelessness. Additionally, the grant will support the formation of a Youth Action Board composed of young people who have experienced homelessness, housing insecurity, or related risk factors and the promotion of community-wide collaboration of local prevention efforts to identify and improve systems and conditions that create inequities and lead to disproportionate numbers of unhoused youth. 

Since 1984, Park Place Outreach has served more than 6,500 teens in Savannah and surrounding counties by providing emergency shelter, meals, and counseling to at-risk youth and their families. Services include temporary shelter and non-residential services consisting of prevention, family preservation, and outreach to provide comprehensive care and vital support. Park Place Outreach provides a safe, secure, and loving temporary home for teens who are homeless, runaway, or victims of abuse, and also for youth in Department of Family and Children Services and Department of Juvenile Justice custody as a preferable alternative to foster care or detention.