Youth Advisory Board

YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD (YAB)
We are YOUTH ABOUT ACTION

MISSION: The YAB seeks to encourage and uplift youth representation to identify barriers to increasing housing stability. We strive to support self-sufficiency by building an equitable community using transparent means.

VISION: The YAB envisions an inclusive world where young people of all backgrounds and identities thrive through equity and generosity, where all youth are affirmed as their authentic selves in the community.

 The Alameda County’s Youth Advisory Board is a leadership body of youth and young adults in the Housing and Homelessness Services of the Alameda County Health agency.

Get involved: YAB 2026 Calendar of Events

ABOUT

How  was the YAB created and where is our home? 

In 2020, the YAB began as an initiative within ALL IN Alameda County through financial support from Blue Shield of California and in  partnership with a youth-serving organization called Covenant House of California (CHC).

In July 2022, the YAB was officially integrated into the Housing and Homeless Services (H&H) under Alameda County Health, making it an official County Advisory Board centering youth voice and leadership. While H&H provides technical assistance and contract monitoring, Covenant House provides supportive services such as a working location, resources, materials, and youth compensation method

What is our role in the community?

Making youth homelessness brief, one time and non-recurring is the key priority along with our mission and vision statement. The YAB is a vital function in the plight against homelessness. Youth voices and experiences are currently misrepresented, unappreciated, and undervalued. The YAB works to shift this reality by supporting youth with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness to know their power, leadership and advocacy. The YAB serves as a bridge between youth and county decision makers to bring insight to the needs of youth in Alameda County and connect an increasing amount of youth to the services they need. 

We are 100% BIPOC between the ages of 18-28 with lived experience of being formerly or currently homeless. We work closely with city, county decision-makers, service providers, professors, young people, and community members to collectively guide  leaders by advising on the best policies and practices that meet the diverse needs of young people at risk of and or  experiencing homelessness. Our leading efforts has been implementing and overseeing the federal Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grant in the county while also engaging in other collaborative projects and initiatives to improve services for youth experiencing homelessness and to end and prevent youth homelessness in Alameda County.

Our Values:

1. We believe in authentic youth engagement by truly representing all youth voices of different backgrounds and situations - meeting youth where they are at, but not leaving them there. 
2. We believe that all youth from the community are partners; we prioritize youth employment with fair compensation and accessibility benefits.
3. We believe collaborating with community-based support, services, and input are the core to ending youth homelessness.  Diversifying and bridging power is crucial to this case. 
4. We uplift and empower youth by providing one-on-one peer mentor support.
5. We value engineering creativity, teamwork, healthy communication and mediation practices to develop a sustainable environment for youth to have the tools they need to succeed.
6. We believe in nurturing a safe environment where young people can work together free of physical, emotional, sexual harm and discrimination.  Acknowledging and addressing power dynamics is a critical piece to maintaining that safety.

Our Membership:

The YAB is made up of Participants, Members, Peer Mentors, and a Youth Lead between the ages of 18-28. Peer mentors operate internal YAB functions and provide one-on-one peer support to YAB members. Participants are youths who engage with YAB meetings, activities, and events on their own time basis; they assist with YAB's goals by providing unique insights on youth homelessness in Alameda County. Members are the core decision-making body of the YAB consisting of a minimum of eight (8) and a maximum of ten (10) seats. Each member seat will represent the following experiences: