This November, in recognition of Youth Homelessness Outreach, Prevention, and Education (HOPE) Month, National Network for Youth (NN4Y) and the Montana Continuum of Care Coalition began a new community-based partnership to prevent and reduce youth homelessness in Montana.
Over 4.2 million youth between the ages of 13 and 26 experience homelessness in the United States. This can include moving between homes, staying in temporary places like shelters or motels, or sleeping in places not intended for habitation, like outside. Behind each of these young people is a combination of family conflict, economic hardship, systems failures, housing instability, and structural barriers that can often be prevented.
Through an 18-month Local Cross-System Collaborative (LCSC), NN4Y and Montana will bring together young people between the ages of 18 and 24 with lived expertise of homelessness, youth-serving organizations, housing and homelessness providers, schools, child welfare agencies, workforce systems, health and behavioral health providers, and legal and public-sector partners to transform systems so that every young person has a safe place to call home.
“Youth homelessness is both widespread and solvable,” said Sarah Billings, Director of Community Strategies at NN4Y, “but only if we build systems that prevent homelessness before it occurs, respond quickly when a crisis happens, and provide young people with the resources they need to achieve lasting stability. Young leaders from Montana’s Youth Action Board are already showing us what needs to change. This LCSC will bring cross-system partners together to work alongside them to put those changes into action.”
“Youth and young adult homelessness in Montana is not an issue any one program, agency, or community can solve alone,” said Colleen Kay, Deputy Executive Director of The Montana Continuum of Care Coalition. “It’s a statewide challenge that requires a statewide, cross-system response, and the encouraging part is that we have champions across sectors ready to take collective action. We have strong partnerships, passionate young leaders, and a shared commitment to creating more equitable and effective systems for young people across Montana. Now it's about turning that momentum into sustainable outcomes through meaningful collaboration, continuous improvement, and shared accountability.”
“In my years of experience navigating housing insecurity and homelessness, I have witnessed a common trend– a lack of consistent communication and collaboration between systems, between agencies, between people,” said Lili Munn, Peer Coordinator, Montana Youth Action Board. “This often looks like duplicative services, services that don’t accurately meet client needs, and a lot of frustration on the part of the person seeking help and resources. I am truly excited for the LCSC to come to Montana. Bringing the key players involved in this work to one table to work together is something Montana has desperately been needing. Now is the time for real change and effective action.”
The Montana LCSC will kick off on November 16, 2026. Community-wide meetings will be held regularly and are open to anyone in Montana working to prevent and end homelessness. To learn more and get involved, contact the Montana Continuum of Care Coalition.