How Youth-Led, Wraparound Support Is Helping Homeless Young People Build Independent Futures
MY House, a shelter for homeless youth in Wasilla, Alaska, has seen great outcomes for its residents thanks to its comprehensive programming and focus on the unique needs of homeless youth in the area.
Since its founding in 2010, MY House has helped hundreds of homeless youth achieve independent futures by connecting them with caring mentorship, job training, and life skills, as well as a safe place to stay.
Youth Empowerment
MY House offers many different supportive services depending on the individual goals of each client. Working with each person to determine where they’re at, where they want to go, what barriers are standing in the way, and how to overcome them is a key part of MY House’s magic. It’s a process that continues throughout a person’s entire relationship with the organization. Whether a person’s goal is to get a driver’s license, tackle treatment, apply for government benefit programs, secure a GED, or simply get their personal paperwork in order, staff at MY House are there to support each person in achieving their own goals.
The secret to the success of this method is that it’s entirely self-directed. Each client is free to choose the goals they want to work toward, rather than being prescribed a specific course of action or, worse, coerced to do certain things through the withholding of essential resources. This is a level of autonomy and self-determination that many youth and young adults are not yet accustomed to, and one that is too often stripped from even adults in traditional homeless shelter systems.
MY House ensures that youth empowerment remains at the forefront of the organization, not only through staff’s individual commitment but also through the presence of a youth board of directors, as mandated by the organization’s bylaws.
Peer counselors, who are often former participants in MY House’s programs, are also a huge part of the organization’s success. By allowing the organization to be consistently shaped by the youth it hopes to help, MY House stays connected to the needs of its clients and better able to support them.
Responsive Support
MY House is set up to handle guests with a variety of differing needs and experiences.
At intake, each guest has an option of several different housing options, such as short-term crisis beds, longer-term “transition to independence” housing, recovery housing with sober supports, active treatment beds, and specific housing for those who have been subjected to domestic or sexual violence and trafficking.
Unfortunately, such exploitation is all too common for homeless youth. These specialized housing options allow for further customization of supports and potential connections among guests who share similar experiences.
On-the-Job Training
MY House offers five job-training opportunities on-site and partners with local businesses to provide more diverse options.
MY House itself runs a cafe, thrift store, clothing brand, podcast company, and a gardening program where clients can learn a variety of different skills. The cafe and thrift store, in particular, have become staples of the local community, with regular customers and even Bible study groups coming in to hold meetings together. Even the mayor of Wasilla has been known to drop in now and then for a cup of coffee.
All of these programs offer participants a chance to learn and practice skills in retail environments, food service, interviewing, sound editing, creative clothing design, and even growing their own food from native seeds. Combined with the external partnerships available, there’s really something for everyone at MY House.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Data from 2024 show that MY House’s programming is having a significant effect in the local area. That year alone, MY House served 146 clients. Of those, 63 had obtained neither a high school diploma nor a GED. By the end of the year, 65 percent of those 63 clients had either obtained their diploma or GED or were currently enrolled in a degree program.
Out of those same 146 clients from 2024, 104 said they experienced behavioral health challenges, which may include mental health or substance abuse issues—61% of those opted in to MY House treatment programs.
MY House sent a survey to all participants in 2024 and received 94 responses. Amazingly, 100% of respondents reported that they had succeeded in maintaining their housing.
The job training programs have been particularly successful. Among a cohort of 36 participants, 31 went directly from job training programs into regular employment. A survey conducted by MY House in 2019 showed that 80% of its job training participants successfully secured the job they trained for (or better), and 98% of those who completed a job training program remained housed 3 years after program completion.
Still, some successes are unquantifiable, and MY House prides itself just as much on program graduates who express their gratitude years after leaving and the peer counselors and youth board members who continue to reinvest in the organization after having benefited from it themselves. This feedback is every bit as important as the hard numbers and statistics.
Big Plans for the Future
There is no doubt that MY House has had an indelible effect on many homeless and housing-insecure youth and young adults throughout the Wasilla, Alaska area. To build on that history of success, the organization now has big plans for the future.
MY House is currently in the process of developing a new, 3-story facility that will have a total of 64 beds and will also be able to provide residential treatment services to those who want them. There, they will be able to provide housing and wraparound services to many more youth ages 14-25 and make an even greater difference in their community and surrounding areas.