The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program
🏛 Administration for Children & Families - ACYF/FYSB (HHS-ACF-FYSB)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Aug 31, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations and agencies working to prevent youth homelessness before it occurs. Eligible applicants typically include nonprofits (501c3 public charities), local government entities, tribal organizations, and community-based organizations serving youth. The program supports primary prevention activities—intervening early to help at-risk youth and families avoid homelessness through housing stability services, family support, case management, and emergency financial assistance. Geographic scope is national, though funding may prioritize underserved communities. Activities funded include rental assistance, utility payments, housing search services, mediation between landlords and tenants, and supportive services addressing root causes of housing instability.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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Key dates
- Jul 23, 2026 Applications open
- Aug 31, 2026 Application deadline
- Sep 29, 2026 Award announced
- Sep 29, 2026 Project start
Program description
The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program provides funding to identify and implement strategies and services for youth and young adults between ages 12 and 26 in order to prevent homelessness, including strategies designed to serve youth and young adult populations with a high likelihood of experiencing homelessness, housing instability, particularly among youth at risk of human trafficking; struggling with substance abuse or mental health concerns; or transitioning out of foster care, the juvenile justice system, or a residential behavioral health system. Primary prevention efforts should focus on reasons youth become homeless, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty, and family dynamics.
Grant recipients must also work with youth who have experienced homelessness, are self-sufficient, and can assist with helping design and implement their projects. This includes establishing local youth advisory boards. In addition, grant recipients awarded under this funding opportunity must participate in a federally sponsored evaluation.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- SF-424 Supplement (if required)
- Project narrative/statement of need addressing local youth homelessness prevention needs
- Detailed project description with timeline and measurable outcomes
- Organizational budget and budget narrative
- Staffing plan and organizational capacity documentation
- Letters of commitment or MOUs from partner organizations
- Evaluation plan describing data collection and outcome measurement
- Organizational documentation (tax-exempt status, DUNS number, SAM registration)
- Indirect cost rate agreement (if using facilities and administrative costs)
Program contact
- 👤 Amanda Persad
- 📧 amanda.persad@acf.hhs.gov
- 📞 (202) 740-6824
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.647 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$8,920,000
-
$8,000,000
-
$5,622,240
-
$4,600,000
-
$3,750,664
-
$3,588,042
-
$2,903,974
-
$2,900,000
-
$2,850,242
-
$2,700,000
Top States by Funding
- NY 13 awards $16.9M
- MD 5 awards $14.3M
- GA 4 awards $14.1M
- WA 6 awards $11.9M
- MA 6 awards $11.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.647). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $20,053,574 | |
| 2025 | $14,875,873 | |
| 2026 est. | $11,750,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants typically include 501c3 nonprofit organizations, local and state government agencies, tribal nations and tribal organizations, and community-based youth-serving organizations with demonstrated capacity to implement prevention services.
What types of activities does this program fund?
The program funds primary prevention activities including rental assistance, utility bill payments, eviction prevention, housing search and placement services, family mediation, emergency financial assistance, case management, and supportive services addressing housing instability.
What is the application deadline and how frequently is this grant offered?
The application window typically opens in spring with specific deadlines announced on Grants.gov. Check the ACF/FYSB program page and Grants.gov for current deadlines, as they vary by funding cycle.
How competitive is this funding and what is the typical award size?
This is a competitive federal program. Award amounts vary by project scope and geographic area served. Contact the ACF/FYSB office or review past announcements for typical funding ranges for similar demonstrations.
What makes applications stand out?
Strong applications demonstrate evidence-based prevention strategies, clear target population and community need data, partnerships with housing and youth services providers, measurable outcomes and evaluation plans, and organizational capacity to serve vulnerable youth populations.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Begin by mapping your organization's current prevention work to the specific goals and measurable objectives outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Federal reviewers look for precise alignment between your capacity and the program's priorities.
- Invest in strong data about your community's youth housing crisis—homelessness risk factors, demographics of at-risk youth, and gaps in existing prevention services. Quantified community need is a competitive advantage.
- Build a diverse partnership table including housing providers, youth services, schools, mental health agencies, and (if possible) youth and families with lived experience of housing instability. Federal programs increasingly reward collaborative approaches.
- Develop a realistic budget that clearly maps activities to outcomes and includes staff time, client services, evaluation, and partner coordination. Federal reviewers scrutinize whether funding amounts match the scope of work proposed.
- Plan your evaluation approach early—federal grants require documented outcomes. Partner with an evaluator or designate internal capacity to track enrollment, service receipt, housing stability outcomes, and program fidelity from day one.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants often fail to clearly distinguish primary prevention (stopping homelessness before it happens) from emergency response or transitional housing, missing the core program focus. Many organizations underestimate the administrative burden and evaluation requirements of federal demonstration grants, leading to over-promised outcomes and under-resourced evaluation plans. Weak or generic partnerships that lack documented commitments and clear roles often signal to reviewers that the applicant lacks real community support.
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