Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2026 ACF ACYF YY 0119
The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program is a federal funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) within the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). It is designed to help communities stop youth and young adult homelessness before it starts by supporting practical, upstream strategies that address the conditions that push young people into homelessness in the first place. The program targets youth and young adults ages 12 through 26 and emphasizes primary prevention, meaning the work should focus on preventing first-time homelessness and housing instability rather than only responding after a young person is already unhoused.
The program is particularly interested in approaches that reach youth with a high likelihood of becoming homeless or experiencing ongoing housing instability. That includes young people at risk of human trafficking, youth dealing with substance use challenges or mental health concerns, and youth transitioning out of systems where housing disruption is common, such as foster care, the juvenile justice system, or residential behavioral health settings. In terms of what prevention should look like, the opportunity explicitly points applicants toward core drivers of youth homelessness, including lack of affordable housing, poverty and economic insecurity, and family dynamics (for example, conflict at home, rejection, or instability). The intent is to fund demonstrations that identify and implement strategies and services that reduce these risks early enough to keep youth stably housed.
A key requirement is meaningful youth engagement in the design and delivery of the work. Awardees must partner with youth who have lived experience of homelessness and who are currently self-sufficient, so they can help shape what strategies are chosen and how they are implemented. This is not meant to be symbolic; the opportunity calls for structures such as local youth advisory boards to ensure ongoing input, accountability, and relevance to the real circumstances young people face. This element signals that the program expects prevention strategies to be built with youth, not just for youth.
Because this is a Cooperative Agreement rather than a simple grant, applicants should expect a more active federal role during the project period, typically involving collaboration, guidance, and shared learning expectations. Another major condition is participation in a federally sponsored evaluation. In practice, this means recipients must be prepared to collect data, track outcomes, coordinate with evaluators, and support evaluation activities that may include site visits, interviews, and standardized reporting. The evaluation requirement reflects that this is a demonstration program, so the federal government is looking to learn what prevention models work best, for whom, and under what conditions, with the goal of informing future policy and scaling effective approaches.
The funding opportunity is listed as discretionary funding in the Income Security and Social Services activity category under CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) number 93.647. The opportunity number is HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-YY-0119, and the application closing date is August 17, 2026. The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $500,000, and the agency expects to make about 14 awards, indicating a competitive process with a limited number of funded sites.
Eligibility is limited to public and governmental or similarly public-serving institutions and entities, including state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Applications from individuals, including sole proprietorships, and from foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration. Overall, the program is aimed at helping jurisdictions and public systems test and refine prevention-focused strategies that stabilize youth before a housing crisis occurs, while building evidence through evaluation and ensuring youth with lived experience have a formal role in shaping the work.Apply for HHS 2026 ACF ACYF YY 0119
- The Administration for Children Families - ACYF/FYSB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.647.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-07-23.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
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Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-YY-0119) FAQs
What is the Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program?
This is a federal discretionary funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) within the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). It supports community demonstrations designed to stop youth and young adult homelessness before it starts by investing in upstream, practical prevention strategies.
What is the main goal of the program?
The goal is primary prevention of youth and young adult homelessness and housing instability. The focus is on preventing first-time homelessness and reducing the conditions that increase the likelihood a young person becomes unhoused, rather than only responding after homelessness has already occurred.
Who is the program intended to serve (age range)?
The program targets youth and young adults ages 12 through 26.
What does "primary prevention" mean in this funding opportunity?
Primary prevention means designing and delivering strategies that intervene early enough to keep young people stably housed and to prevent first-time homelessness and housing instability. The program emphasizes addressing root conditions that push youth toward homelessness.
Which youth populations does the program emphasize reaching?
The opportunity highlights youth and young adults with a high likelihood of becoming homeless or experiencing ongoing housing instability. Examples specifically mentioned include youth at risk of human trafficking, youth dealing with substance use challenges or mental health concerns, and youth transitioning out of systems where housing disruption is common (such as foster care, the juvenile justice system, or residential behavioral health settings).
What core drivers of youth homelessness does the program want applicants to address?
The opportunity points applicants toward addressing drivers such as lack of affordable housing, poverty and economic insecurity, and family dynamics (including conflict at home, rejection, or instability).
Is youth engagement required, or just encouraged?
Meaningful youth engagement is a requirement. Awardees must partner with youth who have lived experience of homelessness and are currently self-sufficient, and those youth must help shape strategy selection and implementation.
What does the program mean by "meaningful" youth engagement?
The opportunity makes clear this is not intended to be symbolic. It calls for structures such as local youth advisory boards to provide ongoing input, accountability, and relevance to real circumstances young people face. The expectation is that prevention strategies are built with youth, not just for youth.
What kind of federal award is this: grant or cooperative agreement?
This opportunity is a Cooperative Agreement, not a standard grant.
What does it mean that this is a Cooperative Agreement?
A Cooperative Agreement typically involves a more active federal role during the project period. Applicants should expect collaboration, guidance, and shared learning expectations from the federal agency while the project is underway.
Is participation in an evaluation required?
Yes. A major condition of the award is participation in a federally sponsored evaluation.
What should applicants be prepared to do for the evaluation?
Recipients should be ready to collect data, track outcomes, coordinate with evaluators, and support evaluation activities. The opportunity notes evaluation may include site visits, interviews, and standardized reporting.
Why is evaluation a major part of this program?
This is a demonstration program, meaning the federal government is funding communities to test prevention models and generate evidence about what works, for whom, and under what conditions. The goal is to inform future policy and scaling of effective approaches.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) number is 93.647.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is HHS-2026-ACF-ACYF-YY-0119.
What is the application deadline?
The application closing date is August 17, 2026.
How much funding is available per award?
The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $500,000.
How many awards does the agency expect to make?
The agency expects to make about 14 awards.
Is this opportunity competitive?
Yes. The agency expects a limited number of funded sites (about 14 awards), which indicates a competitive process.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to public and governmental or similarly public-serving institutions and entities. Examples listed include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Applications from individuals, including sole proprietorships, are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration.
Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Applications from foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review and funding consideration.
What activity category is this funding listed under?
The opportunity is listed as discretionary funding in the Income Security and Social Services activity category.
What kinds of approaches is the program looking to fund?
The program is designed to fund demonstrations that identify and implement upstream strategies and services that reduce risks early enough to keep youth stably housed. It emphasizes addressing conditions that lead to homelessness, particularly among youth at higher risk of housing instability.
Does the opportunity focus only on services after homelessness occurs?
No. The emphasis is on preventing first-time homelessness and housing instability, rather than focusing only on interventions after a young person is already unhoused.
What is the overall purpose of funding these demonstrations?
The overall purpose is to help jurisdictions and public systems test and refine prevention-focused strategies that stabilize youth before a housing crisis occurs, while building evidence through evaluation and ensuring youth with lived experience have a formal role in shaping the work.
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