KAA expands Housing Program for Homeless Youth
Kids Above All today announced that a significant grant of $549,611 from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will nearly double its housing units provided to young adults experiencing homelessness in the city of Chicago. A total of 43 apartments will now be offered through Kids Above All’s Emerge Program, which provides safe, affordable housing to young people ages 18-24,
“In the last ten years, Kids Above All’s Emerge Program has helped 488 young people experiencing homelessness in Chicago become independent adults who lead meaningful, productive lives,” said Dan Kotowski, President & CEO of Kids Above All. “This funding ensures that we can intensify our impact, so more youth have the support they need to succeed in life.”
“This grant will make a tremendous difference for young people in Chicago who are homeless, helping them secure stable housing and achieve financial independence,” said Kim Young, Kids Above All’s Director of Emerge.
Kids Above All’s Emerge Program is a two-year transitional housing program that currently impacts up to 25 clients—15 individuals and five families with children. Program participants receive an apartment of their own, case management, education and career resources, mental health counseling and life skills training so they can become self-sufficient adults.
In 2012, Kids Above All assumed operational control of the Emerge Program from the Jane Addams Hull House Association. In 2020, the Emerge Program expanded by five to serve 25 young adults in Chicago in need of stable housing. Last year, Kids Above All also extended the Emerge Program into Lake County, deploying a rapid rehousing approach to address the area’s growing youth housing crisis.
For more information about Kids Above All’s Emerge Program, click here.
