Host Homes for Homeless Youth

A Safe Haven for Homeless Youth in Northwest Michigan

It’s hard to believe we have young people who are homeless in our community. When a high school student is homeless, staying in school, maintaining good grades, and graduating is challenging. Our region has taken an important step in addressing this need by offering homeless students a Host Home in which to live. We invite you to read this information and consider being a host home for homeless youth.

Host Homes for Homeless Youth is administered by Catholic Human Services and delivered with support from Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD). We serve students who are enrolled in schools in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties. The program is licensed by the Michigan Department of Human Services as an Independent Living Program.

Why don’t these teens have a stable living arrangement?

The Host Homes Program provides support to adolescents who are unaccompanied – which means they are not living at home with a parent or guardian. Students are homeless for a variety or reasons. Many are faced with an environment that is no longer a safe place for them to live because of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse and/or parental drug abuse.

The risk for these teens –

Without stable living arrangements teens are likely to engage in high-risk behavior for day-to-day survival. They may participate in illegal activities to meet their needs for shelter, food, transportation and clothing. They are also at high risk for dropping out of school.

Our goals are:

1) to provide safe, stable, supervised homes for homeless high school students

2) to enable students to finish high school

3) reunification with their own family when appropriate

Host Homes: How It Works

The program is voluntary for both the student and the Host Home. A student may reside with the Host Home for a few days or up to the completion of a school year.

If you are interested in becoming a Host Home –

• Complete an application.
• Undergo a criminal background check.
• Meet and interview a potential guest student.
• Receive training and ongoing support.
• Receive a $10 per night stipend to assist with daily living expenses.

Students must:

• Sign a Participation Contract.
• Meet and Interview the potential Host Home provider.

Legal guardian or parents must:

• Delegate Power of Attorney to the Host Home provider.

Host Homes: Ways to Help

Host Homes for Homeless Youth is in need of respite providers to offer short term assistance to existing Host Home families.

For information on becoming a valuable host home provider, or to make a donation to the program, please contact:

Marybeth Novak

(231) 947-8110

mnovak@catholichumanservices.org

Host Homes: Supporters

Funding for this program (both past and present) has been provided by many grants and generous contributions. We would like to thank the following for their support:

United Way of Northwest Michigan

Rotary Good Works Committee

Rotary Charities

The Campbell Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Councils of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties

The Schmukal Family Foundation

John & Matilda Schumsky Foundation

Children’s Trust Fund of Michigan

Zonta Club of Traverse City

Michigan Women’s Foundation

Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools

Wuerfel Park

Jan & Edward McCall