3.3 Emergency Housing Solutions for Runaway and Homeless Youth Speaker: Kimberly Wood When young people run away from home or are thrown out, they need a safe place to stay in order to work on reunifying with family or finding housing. Youth shelters, often called basic centers, are those safe places. Basic centers play a key role in keeping youth away from dangers they would face on the streets or in the home of a stranger and help to facilitate a return to family or other permanent housing placement. This workshop will focus on best practices that all emergency youth shelters should employ and how communities without youth-specific programs are meeting young people’s needs.

1. emergency housing solutions for runaway and homeless youth Kimberly Wood Stepping Stone Transitional Living Program Director Centre County Youth Service Bureau