MA Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission (UHYC)

The Massachusetts Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission, chaired by Dr Alice Colegrove on behalf of the Secretary of EOHHS Health and Human Services, convenes quarterly and is composed of Commissioners that include members of state government, direct service providers, and young adults with lived experience of homelessness. The UHYC was established through Outside Section 208 of the Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) Budget, signed into law on July 8, 2012. The UHY Commission was then reconstituted through Chapter 450 of the Acts of 2014.17

The Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission does not provide services directly. Please refer to Homeless Youth Services’  List of  Young Adult Emergency Housing Options and Supports or contact Alice Colegrove, Director, Homeless Youth Services Alice.J.Colegrove@mass.gov

The definition agreed upon by the Massachusetts Special Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in 2013 was that “Unaccompanied Homeless Youth” shall mean: a person 24 years of age or younger who is not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian, and who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. “Fixed” refers to a residence that is stationary, permanent, and not subject to change. “Regular” means a dwelling at which a person resides on a regular basis (i.e., nightly). “Adequate” means that the dwelling provides safe shelter, meeting both physical and psychological needs of the youth.

Data that leads to impact

Since 2014, the UHYC has administered the Massachusetts Youth Count, an annual survey designed to understand the demographics and needs of unaccompanied youth and young adults under 25 who are homeless or lack stable housing in Massachusetts. Over the years, nearly 10,000 surveys have been completed, with detailed data analysis reports released each winter. In 2023, the UHYC shifted to conducting the survey every two years to allow for deeper analysis of previous findings.

In line with this shift, the UHYC presents its first MA Youth Count Research to Action Briefs (PDF) l (DOCX), which summarize the 2022 survey findings and highlight three particularly vulnerable groups facing prolonged homelessness and significant barriers to services: (1) unaccompanied minors, (2) youth who have dropped out of school, and (3) unsheltered youth. Each brief concludes with actionable recommendations to better serve these subgroups.

The MA State Plan to End Youth Homelessness (2018) outlined a vision for "a system where every community in the Commonwealth has coordinated, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed resources that are effective, regionally accessible, and reliably funded." A key step toward realizing this vision is for the state and each funded Homeless Youth Service Region to understand the demographics of homeless youth and young adults, along with the resources designed to serve them. Statewide and regional profiles were developed and published in the 2019 report, Furthering the Work of the MA State Plan to End Youth Homelessness: A state-level analysis of Community Needs Assessments.

Massachusetts Youth Advisory Council

A key support to the UHYC is the State-wide Homeless Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The YAC’s goal is to educate, inspire and collaborate with the UHYC to eradicate youth homelessness in Massachusetts. YAC members are young adults with lived experience of homelessness who convene on the 1st and 3rd Wed of the month to offer insight and guidance on state-level policies and programming.

Applications for September 2024-June 2026 YAC members are now closed. Thank you to everyone who expressed interest and applied! YAC members are hired for a paid two-year appointment. For more information about the YAC, please contact Shawnic Coleman; Shawnic.Youth.Engagement@gmail.com