The Transitional Living Program (TLP) Special Population Demonstration grant was intended to help TLPs implement enhanced and innovative services for two populations of youth at heightened risk of homelessness: LGBTQ youth, and young adults who left foster care after age 18. The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funded nine organizations that were selected to receive funding so they could  operate enhanced and innovative service models for 24 months with the goal of achieving measurable progress towards self-sufficiency among their clients.

Abt Global conducted a process study of the demonstration on behalf of FYSB to document how grantees designed and implemented their programs, and their lessons learned in serving these special populations. The research team conducted one- to two-day site visits with each of the nine grantees; this report documents findings from the study, which include describing how and why programs selected different housing models and resident policies, and how they helped build protective factors to help residents feel connected and respected. The report also discusses promising strategies present in various aspects of the TLPs’ programming—from the services offered to youth, to grantees’ efforts to foster youths’ feelings of relevance and inclusion, to approaches to trauma-informed care.