John Burton Advocates for Youth

🏳️‍🌈 John Burton Advocates for Youth would like to wish everyone a happy Pride Month! Now more than ever, it’s vital that we use our collective voices to advocate on behalf of proven solutions and support LGBTQ+ youth who are at a heightened risk of facing discrimination.

🏳️‍⚧️ Did you know that LGBTQ+ youth constitute an estimated 20-40% of the youth homelessness population? Did you also know they also constitute approximately 30% of youth in foster care? LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented among systems of care due to facing family rejection over their gender or sexual identity.

📢 JBAY, along with Bring California Home is urging Governor Gavin Newsom to commit to $1 billion in funding for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program (HHAP). This program requires local jurisdictions to dedicate 10% of funds to youth homelessness. Communities across California have utilized these funds to support LGBTQ+ affirming services for youth throughout California. Use our template to tell the Governor you would like $1 billion in funding or HHAP to support LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness: https://jbay.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Governor-Email-Instructions-June-2026-1.docx

Now is NOT the time to scale back. California needs $1 billion for HHAP to ensure that the youth set-aside can maintain the momentum on ending youth homelessness!

Join JBAY in reducing youth homelessness by emailing the Governor at [email protected] the following message:

Dear Governor Newsom,

My name is [Your Name], and I live in [location]. Today, I join the Youth Homelessness Minimum Funding Guarantee coalition, a statewide coalition of more than 75 youth-serving homelessness, healthcare, and community organizations and 36 individuals working to preserve the progress California made in reducing youth homelessness by 39% from 2020 to 2025. I am writing to respectfully urge you to revise your funding decisions in the 2026-27 budget and ask that you support a total of $1 billion for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program in the 2026–27 state budget and authorize Round 8 of HHAP in the final budget.

California has experienced unprecedented progress in reducing youth homelessness. Between 2020 and 2025, HHAP reduced youth homelessness in California by 39% overall, and between 2019-2024, reduced unsheltered youth homelessness by 42%. It is crucial that the momentum behind ending youth homelessness is maintained through investments that match the last four rounds of HHAP funding. The absence of new HHAP funding in the May Revise places this progress at risk at a time when communities across the state continue to face immense housing instability and growing need.

I appreciate your administration's longstanding commitment to addressing homelessness and supporting the most vulnerable youth in California. We respectfully ask that you continue your leadership on this issue and help build a lasting legacy of advancing real, long-term solutions to homelessness by investing $1 billion in HHAP Round 7 and authorizing HHAP Round 8.

Thank you for your consideration and leadership.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]