Homeless Youth Legislation

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs help prevent exploitation of youth on the streets and support reconnection to their families, schools, employment, and housing options.

LATEST NEWS:

In mid-March, Congress passed final FY 2013 funding legislation. The legislation, after sequestration, provides $109 million for Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs within HHS and $61 million for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program within the Department of Education. The President's Budget Proposal for FY 2014 proposed essentially flat funding compared to FY 2012 for the two programs - recommending $115 million for RHYA and $65 million for EHCY.

The House and Senate will release their own funding bills for FY 2014 in the coming weeks. 

About RHYA Programs
The Family and Youth Services Bureau, part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, administers the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs. RHYA programs include:

  • The Basic Center Program, which provides financial assistance to meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families, including emergency shelter, reunification when possible, food, clothing, counseling, and facilitating access to health care;
  • The Transitional Living Program, which supports projects that provide long-term residential services to homeless youth ages 16 to 21 for up to 18 months; and
  • The Street Outreach Program, which provides funds to private and nonprofit agencies performing outreach efforts designed to move youth off the streets.

RHYA is up for reauthorization in 2013; however, it is currently unclear whether Congress will take up a reauthorization bill that proposes any changes to the program.

About EHCY
Congress passed the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) as part of the original McKinney-Vento legislation in 1987. The program provides formula grants to state educational agencies to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness have the same access to education provided to all children and youth. States and localities receive EHCY funds to review and revise any policies that may act as a barrier to attendance or success in school for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The program was reauthorized in 2002 as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. The changes require that every school district has a local liaison to ensure appropriate adherence to the laws.

Spotlight

Federal Policy Brief | April 23, 2013
Congress could offer necessary, crisis services for homeless youth by appropriating at least $115 million in fiscal year (FY) 2014 for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs.

Library Resources

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Federal Policy Brief | April 19, 2012
As many as 20 percent of the runaway and homeless youth population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ). This suggests as many as 80,000 LGBTQ youth are homeless for over a week each year. These young people face particular difficulties. Ending homelessness for LGBTQ youth will require specific policies to address those difficulties.
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Federal Policy Brief | March 14, 2012
National RHYA Program Utilization and Program Outcomes
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Advocacy Resource | December 1, 2011
This document contains various charts showing Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) utilization, statistics, and efficiency.
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Advocacy Resource | September 9, 2011
The National Alliance to End Homelessness recommends that Congress appropriate a small amount of funding to carry out Congress’s requirement of a study of homelessness among youth. This study would contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of bipartisan efforts to protect these uniquely vulnerable young people.