A Place to Call Home: Stability, Belonging, and the Road Ahead
Finding safe, stable housing is a major milestone for young adults—but for many, it’s far from guaranteed. For youth without a strong family foundation, the journey into adulthood can be uncertain and deeply personal. At MYC, we know that a place to live isn’t just a shelter from the elements—it’s the platform for building a future.
Thanks to support from state funding, foundation grants, and generous individual donors, MYC provides wraparound support to young people navigating housing instability. We work alongside school districts, social workers, and other community partners to offer not just short-term shelter, but long-term stability and guidance.
When a young person finally finds a place to call home, it’s a quiet, life-changing turning point. Here are two stories that show what that journey can look like.
–MSCYEH & McKinney-Vento Support–
As part of MSCYEH (Merrymeeting Support Collaborative for Youth Experiencing Homelessness), McKinney-Vento Liaison Donna V. supported a young woman facing serious mental health challenges and unsafe housing. In July, shortly after turning 21, she moved into clean, secure public housing—her first true home. Donna’s steady mentorship through MYC helped make it happen.
–Step Up Transitional Housing–
One young person in our Step Up Transitional Housing program just signed the lease on their first apartment! Part of the strategy of Step Up is for residents to pay a pro-rated stipend, based on income, towards their housing. Half of those funds are saved aside to be returned when it is time to move on to a first apartment.
Housing Is Just the Beginning
MYC’s transitional housing program currently supports up to 12 young adults, ages 18–24, who would otherwise face homelessness. Many are working to stay in school, manage complex mental or physical health challenges, or navigate complicated legal and state assistance systems—often without family support or a clear roadmap.
The realities these young people face are often invisible to the broader public – MYC calls it a crisis “hiding in plain sight.” Preble Street, a statewide leader in housing advocacy, shares that every year, at least 15,000 youth and young adults experience homelessness across the state—and this year, more than 30% of Maine’s homeless population is under age 24.
Options for young adults in crisis are alarmingly limited. Only a handful of agencies in Maine provide dedicated services for youth ages 18–24—a vulnerable population that includes a disproportionate number of youth of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+.
That’s why our work is expanding. Through the Merrymeeting Support Collaborative, MYC currently supports school-aged youth facing homelessness in several districts. As we’ve added two new school systems to this network, we expect to serve as many as 300 McKinney-Vento–identified students—a dramatic increase from the 65–75 students we’ve historically served each year.
Why It Matters
At MYC, we believe that every young person deserves the foundation to thrive. A stable place to live is more than a roof—it’s a launching point for education, health, employment, and community connection. Without it, everything else is harder to build.
Our mission is to unlock the potential in every young person. That means addressing housing instability with compassion, structure, and practical support. We’re not just helping young people find homes—we’re helping them find a path forward.
Want to learn more about the impacts of housing on our community?
We recommend reading the 2025 Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment Report.
