St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho Receives $827,000 to Combat Youth Homelessness

St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho has been selected as a subrecipient of an $827,000 federal grant that will expand transitional housing, rental assistance, case management, and education and employment pathways for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness across North Idaho.

The funding comes through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development initiative designed to reduce and ultimately end youth homelessness. The Coeur d'Alene-based organization was chosen through a competitive selection process run by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, which announced in October 2024 that it had received a $3.8 million YHDP award from HUD. Five statewide projects received funding from that allocation; St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho's $827,000 share is the largest single award identified in reporting on the grants.

"This investment allows us to build a youth-centered system that listens to young people and walks alongside them toward independence," said Scott Ferguson, CEO of St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho.

Beyond immediate shelter, the grant is designed to address the longer arc of a young person's path out of homelessness. Planned services include long-term housing placement assistance, case management and supportive services, and structured pathways to education and employment. The stated aim, as described in the grant release, is that "the goal is not only to provide shelter, but also to create a pathway to stability, self-sufficiency, and hope."

A distinguishing feature of the YHDP model is that young people with lived experience of homelessness helped shape the program itself. IHFA identified authentic youth leadership throughout planning, project design, implementation, and evaluation as a cornerstone of the program, with those young people playing a direct role in identifying the most effective housing models for Idaho communities.

Ferguson credited both the state housing agency and the federal government for making the work possible. "We are deeply grateful to Idaho Housing and HUD for this opportunity to strengthen our response to youth homelessness in North Idaho," he said.

The award positions St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho as the region's primary implementer of a youth-driven housing model that, at least on paper, treats the people it serves as partners in solving the problem.