Youth Alaska Action Board on Housing and Homelessness (YAABHH)

Our Mission. The YAABHH (pronounced yab) self-organizes to ensure that young people with lived experience are valued voices and leaders. We advocate for Alaskan communities, homeless services, and housing to be safe, stable, and equitable, and to create pathways for young people to have accessible resources and affordable housing.

Who We Are. YAABHH is a group of all backgrounds: Indigenous, Black, and Queer all with a lived experience of homelessness and unstable housing. All of us have a vast array of different hobbies, expertise, and outlooks that are brought to the table and shared.

“The YAABHH provides me a safe space to speak up about injustices in the system that have been left alone for too long.”
— Evie
“This group has provided me the comfort and inspiration to know that I am not alone and I’m more capable than I think I am to accomplish more - not just for myself but for other young people in my community. YAABHH is a prime example of what support, love, and acceptance can accomplish and heal no matter what life people walk from and towards!”
— Ryyna
“YAABHH is a place where through the use of the things that brought me pain I can hope to change the future to bring less pain in the process. ”
— Royal
“YAABHH is a place that has brought me self confidence and a sense of purpose with people who have been incredibly supportive to me and helped me to grow into my place here with the team.”
— Bean
“Being a member of the YAABHH puts me in a position where I can make sure that as few youth as possible experience even what little I have had to experience while playing to my strengths and growing as a person, which really feels amazing to me.”
— Aria
“YAABHH has opened my eyes to concerns that I wasn’t aware of and simply didn’t care for. It showed me that being in my own bubble is not always a good thing and it takes people like us to stand up for what’s right and what’s needed.”
— Sosefina
“YAABHH to me means I’m not alone. I get to work with my friends on things that I really care about. No matter what I have to say, I always feel heard and respected on what I bring to the team.”
— Quinn

YAABHH Background

2017. Anchorage’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) began and the Anchorage Youth Task Force (AYTF) - funded by the Anchorage CoC - was founded. AYTF championed authentic youth engagement in Anchorage, even when ignored by organizations. Eventually, their insistence in participating in systems and projects paid off.

2018. The 2018 rank and review was the first to include youth leaders in its process in Alaska.

2019. The statewide Youth Alaska Action Board on Housing and Homelessness (YAABHH) was formed, as the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness was granted the YHDP funding. From there, new youth action boards began in the Matanuska-Susitna and Southeast regions of Alaska.

2020. Regional youth action boards engaged in YHDP strategic planning meetings, and established an unorthodox yet effective structure for YHDP implementation across the state throughout that year.

2021-2022. The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed nearly everyone, but we didn’t stay down for long. The following year, by the effort of the few remaining members, the YAABHH reassembled and recruited new members, hitting the ground running with community outreach and engagement with service providers.

2023 to present. Now the YAABHH meets every week, frequently travels towards Homer and Fairbanks, and works to revitalize the Southeast Youth Action Board.

YAABHH Calendar

Wednesdays (weekly): Team Meetings 4:30-6 PM AKST on Discord

Thursdays (Weekly): Game Night 6-7 PM AKST on Discord

2024 Fundraiser

One of YAABHH’s resolutions this year is to deepen our relationship with our community by improving our connections with local businesses and individual sponsors. In 2024, we temporarily faced a zeroed out budget which greatly affected our ability to work. While we are incredibly excited about the good news of receiving the YHSI (Youth Homeless System Improvement) Grant, we know we cannot solely be dependent on grant funding. This poster is for a fine dining fundraiser at the Writer’s Block Cafe and Bookstore in Anchorage. We hope to see more creative solutions and collaborations like this across the state of Alaska. If you are a business or individual interested in sponsoring our board’s work, please reach out to us. 

YAABHH Contact Information