The HUD funded Y.O.U. Inc. program is a teen parent apartment program that serves homeless teen mothers and their children. The program exists in a series of 5 duplex houses that are home to 10 families. There is a staff member living on-site, as a “house-parent”. The program serves young mothers, no one over the age of 21, and therefore, all mothers must be in school during their stay. The program makes sure they receive appropriate medical treatment and health care, and advocate for the needs of the mothers.

The young women who enter the program are 80%- 90% temporarily homeless, and the rest are considered chronically homeless. Many women come from unstable family situations and domestic abuse. 37% of the women were introduced to homelessness as a result of domestic violence. These situations are not healthy for infants and toddlers. The Y.O.U. Inc program gives them a safe and stable home for them and their children.

Women entering the program must be between 16 and 21 years of age, at earliest in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The women must have some form of income to cover food, and other necessities. The clients apply for Section 8, and if they are approved, they have to take the aid and move out of the program. This is a recent development, because the scarcity of Section 8, an individual might not be approved again. Mothers typically stay for 1 year, although they are allowed to stay for 2 years.

Some of the largest barriers standing in the way of moving to permanent housing is the lack of affordable housing and CORI forms. Housing is too expensive, and Section 8 vouchers are very hard to get. CORI forms need to be reformed, because they can be used for discrimination.

The Y.O.U. Inc. program is extremely successful, boasting a 90-95% success rate of clients moving into stable, permanent housing. Another success is the 100% attendance rate of the women to school each day. One major success story came from a woman who was in the program in the early 90’s with her daughter; she married, graduated from college, and owns her own home. Many of the women who have been in the program end up working in the human services field, because they realize how important the work is.

Y.O.U. Inc.’s Kelly Sullivan feels very strongly about the potential of the young mothers. Kelly stated; “the resiliency of the girls is incredible; the drive that they have to succeed for their children. They work hard, are in school and they take advantage of the opportunities. They are beating the odds”.