OUR STRATEGIC PLAN

Safe Place for Youth’s 2024 - 2027 strategic plan is the culmination of a year-long process undertaken by SPY’s board of directors and staff, and informed by SPY’s youth members, community stakeholders, and data on youth homelessness in Los Angeles County. In alignment with SPY’s new vision and mission, our 3 year strategic plan seeks to address the root causes of youth homelessness, enhance the impact of programs, expand services to meet the most pressing needs, uplift the voices of young people, support our workforce, and ensure our organizational sustainability. View the Executive Summary Here.

 

1. Expanding Youth Services

Focusing on holistic health, accessibility, and breaking the cycle of homelessness.

  • Substance Use Support: Launching an inaugural program with specialized treatment to reduce health risks and mortality.

  • Mobile Education & Employment: Bringing E&E services directly to youth across all 9 housing sites to remove barriers to access.

  • Family & Child Development: Embedding early childhood mental health into our Pregnant & Parenting programs to stop intergenerational homelessness.

  • Life Skills: Standardizing our life skills model across all programs to better prepare youth for independent living.

2. Housing Innovation

Creating permanent, safe spaces designed specifically for youth.

  • West LA’s First Youth Shelter (2026): Establishing the region's first and only shelter dedicated entirely to youth, distinct from adult facilities.

  • Permanent Real Estate (2027): Purchasing SPY’s first housing property to secure permanent assets and protect youth opportunities from rising real estate costs.

 
 

3. Advocacy & System Change

Leading the conversation and centering youth voices.

  • Youth-Led Policy: Integrating policy curriculum into the SPY Squad leadership program to train the next generation of advocates.

  • Regional Leadership: Galvanizing the broader service community to advocate for policies that prevent and end youth homelessness.

  • Data-Driven Impact: Producing a first-of-its-kind "Countywide Youth Needs Assessment" in partnership with researchers to drive data-informed interventions.

4. Workforce & Opportunity

Building pathways to financial independence.

  • Social Enterprise: Relaunching SPY’s social enterprise to provide career-track paid internships and entry into the mainstream workforce.

  • (Cross-reference) Mobile E&E: Ensuring education and job support meets youth where they live.

 

5. Organizational Strength

Investing in our team and infrastructure to ensure we can do this work for years to come.

  • Investing in Staff: Implementing enhanced recruitment and retention strategies, with a specific focus on supporting staff with lived experience of homelessness.

  • Infrastructure & Security: Upgrading IT systems and security to protect sensitive information and increase efficiency.

  • Sustainability: Diversifying funding streams to increase unrestricted revenue, allowing for competitive staff salaries and robust training.

  • Visibility: Elevating marketing strategies to ensure the community understands SPY’s impact and services.