The Comprehensive Needs Assessment of Young People Experiencing Housing Instability and Homelessness in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, represents a collaborative effort of the Southwest Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and the University of New Mexico (UNM) Office of Community Health. Making this effort possible is a partnership with a Leadership Team of government officials from the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, and the State of New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), and administrators of community-based organizations (CBOs). We define CBOs as public or private nonprofit organizations that address the health and human service needs of youth aged 15-25 experiencing housing instability and homelessness. A Youth Advisory Council of young people with lived experience of unstable housing and homelessness has guided this work.
This needs assessment is designed to achieve several goals:
- Generate an estimate for the number of young people aged 15-25 experiencing housing instability and homelessness in Bernalillo County.
- Enhance understanding of housing instability and homelessness based on the perspectives of young people with lived experience.
- Examine strengths and limitations of the current service system for the population of interest, including capacity issues affecting CBOs and their workforce.
- Develop recommendations for creating a coordinated and comprehensive community response to improve services and supports for young people impacted by housing instability and homelessness in Bernalillo County.
