Gateway Youth Services
Prevents & ends homelessness for youth and young adults by helping young people and their household members access housing, basic needs, resources, and services to resolve their housing crisis.
If you are a youth in crisis or worried about a youth in crisis and would like to talk to someone immediately, contact the 24/hour hotline at 1.877.833.3689.
If you’d like to learn more about our programs and services, click here
General Information
The Gateway Division provides a housing assistance and supportive services for youth & young adults experiencing unsafe or unstable housing. This includes young people ages 12-24 who:
- Are experiencing family conflict
- Are thinking about running away from home
- Are staying in an unsafe place
- Struggle to access basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, health & hygiene items)
- Are minors staying temporarily with friends or family members who are not legal guardians
- Are living outdoors, in cars, in tents or other places not meant for long-term living in Michigan
- Lack the income to secure safe and stable living
Gateway team members connect young people to programs and services to resolve their housing crises.
Gateway Youth Services primary goals are:
- To prevent youth from running away from home by providing supportive services to resolve family conflict.
- To reunify youth who have run away from home with their families whenever family conflict can be safely remedied.
- To identify safe living alternatives for youth when family reunification is not possible or in the best interest of the youth or family.
- To help young people successfully transition from adolescence to independence.
Street Outreach Program
The Street Outreach team includes young adults with lived experience of homelessness who help locate youth in crisis in areas they are known to congregate. The team carries basic needs supplies and information about resources offering food, drink, hygiene products, transportation and clothing to youth in need. The team’s goal is to meet youth where they are at and work together to solve problems, helping youth access immediate safe shelter, explore longer-term housing options, and ensure youth can access ongoing basic needs. If you are a youth who needs immediate help, please contact our hotline number at 1-877-833-3689. If you know of a location our Street Outreach team should check out, please send us a message.
Contact the 24-hour crisis hotline to schedule a time and location where the Street Team can come to you. 1-877-833-3689
Higher Ground Emergency Shelter for Youth ages 12-17
If you are a youth or know a youth who does not have a safe place to sleep, please contact our hotline at 1-877-833-3689. Youth are able to stay in our shelter, a licensed child caring institution, with 24-hour supervision by trained staff for up to 21 days. Youth work with a case manager to remain in school, build life skills, connect to counseling and other supportive services, learn healthy coping skills, and determine a long-term housing plan.
• Emergency Shelter Services: An unaccompanied minor shelter at the Jackson Home. The shelter is for minor youth who are without safe, stable, and appropriately supervised housing, short term (up to 21 days) emergency shelter is available while family reunification or alternative safe housing is secured. Contact the hotline toll free at 1-877-833-3689 for more information.
Crossroads-Transitional Living Program for Youth ages 16-17
For youth who cannot return home after their 21-day Higher Ground stay and can’t afford a place of their own, Crossroads offers a structured housing program. Youth and young adults can reside in the shelter where they work closely with a case manager to create a long-term housing plan, improve social & emotional health and well-being, build positive, permanent connections with caring adults in the community, and increase life skills.
Project Next Living Program for Youth Ages 18-21
For homeless young adults without a safe and stable place to stay, Project Next offers a structured housing program. Young adults can reside in the shelter where they work closely with a case manager to create a long-term housing plan, improve social & emotional health and well-being, build positive, permanent connections with caring adults in the community, and increase life skills.
T.R.U.E (Teens Understanding and Respecting Each-other)
A weekly support and activity group for school-aged LGBTQIA+ youth. Teens meet weekly to discuss topics important to LGBTQIA+ young people, receive peer and adult support, and engage in activities in their community that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to services. While the group is facilitated by adults from the LGBTQIA+ community, the discussions and activities are largely chosen by the youth in the group.
Supportive Community Housing for Youth Program (SCHYP)
SCHYP is a community housing program that offers support to homeless young families and young adults residing in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties. The goal of the program is to help young people learn to become self-sufficient individuals.
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