Homeless youth are at a higher risk of becoming infected with HIV than youth living in stable housing environments. Moreover, homeless people living with HIV face significant challenges maintaining their health and adhering to their medications. Larkin Street Youth Services runs a housing facility and a program specifically designed to meet the unique needs of homeless HIV positive youth, the Assisted Care Program and Aftercare.

The Assisted Care facility operated by Larkin Street is the nation’s first facility of its kind, offering stable housing and HIV services for up to 12 homeless youth at a time. Residents have 24-hour access to medical services and counselors and participate in structured activities that encourage peer support. Mental health and substance abuse counseling are available. Residents jointly determine how the house is run and participate in group outings that foster healthy and independent living skills.

For HIV positive youth ages 18-24 who possess the skills to live independently but who have unstable housing situations, Larkin Street provides Aftercare. This program complements the counseling and medical services provided at the Clinic with rental subsidies for housing in the community. Aftercare promotes self-sufficiency by supporting youth to live independently and giving them access to all HIV services provided by Larkin.

To provide HIV positive youth aged 18 to 24 with stable housing situations and access to adequate medical services.

Assisted Care provided an average of 34 individual counseling sessions a day in 2009 and over 90% of youth received medical services at a Larkin Street clinic. Among youth who exited the Assisted Care program 85% made a transition to stable housing.

Aftercare provided 2,157 case management and 4,587 individual independent living skills sessions in 2009 and over 80% of youth housed with the After Care program received medical services through a Larkin Street clinic.