What Homeless Youth Alliance does

Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA) is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating since 2006 to deliver harm reduction services to youth ages 13-29 experiencing homelessness, primarily in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Its service suite spans daily street-based outreach along Haight Street and Golden Gate Park (delivering 12,000+ annual contacts), a part-time drop-by center (The Hive at 1572 Haight Street), four nightly syringe access and disposal sites (including a women-only Mission District location), street and cafe-delivered mental health therapy through embedded Harm Reduction Therapy Center clinicians, basic medical services, HIV/HCV testing, a buprenorphine clinic, transitional housing, and the CAMP Safe Sleeping Village. Following the 2013 loss of its indoor drop-in lease, HYA operated on a mobile model for more than a decade before occupying the historic Haight Ashbury Free Clinic site full time in November 2024. Staff is documented as 6 outreach counselors plus an on-staff therapist, with total staffing fluctuating between 15 and 40 depending on program activity; most staff and volunteers have histories that include homelessness, and many are former HYA participants.

HYA's underlying "technology" is its relationship-driven, non-judgmental outreach model: no proprietary software platform, API, or mobile application is offered, and the organization does not disclose any digital product surface. Programs are coordinated through a Participant Planning Council that gives youth direct input on service design and delivery. Quantified outcomes include 13,000 at-risk youth reached annually, 1,000+ case management sessions, 1,200 therapeutic contacts with 510 youth, 1,400 medical appointments brokered, and approximately 370 youth annually connected to housing, detoxification, or residential treatment.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy and government funding rather than service fees: individual donations, foundation grants (from "dozens" of foundations), in-kind goods, an active capital campaign for permanent facilities, photo book sales at $25 per copy via "Through Our Eyes," and government contracts including a $100,000 award from the City and County of San Francisco in FY2024. EIN 81-3036333. The customer base consists of youth experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, with concentration in the Haight Ashbury district and Mission District; services are provided free of charge with no payer model other than third-party reimbursement and grant funding. The organization is governed by a board including Erica Nordby, Lisa Moore, and Khristine Jones and led by Executive Director Mary Howe.

Name

Homeless Youth Alliance

Legal name

Homeless Youth Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://homelessyouthalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Homeless Youth Alliance is a San Francisco 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers harm reduction, street outreach, syringe access, mental health, and medical services to youth ages 13-29 experiencing homelessness in the Haight Ashbury and Mission districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Homeless youth services
• Harm reduction outreach
• Syringe access programs
• Youth mental health counseling
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Online and check donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to serve homeless youth in San Francisco.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from dozens of foundations that have supported HYA over the years.
3. In-Kind Donations: Accepts goods including clothing, food, hygiene supplies, pet care supplies, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, office supplies, medical supplies, and needles.
4. Capital Campaign Donations: Funds raised specifically for purchasing a permanent, full-time drop-in center in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
5. Photo Book Sales: Sells 'Through Our Eyes' photo documentary book created by HYA's youth for $25 per book.
6. Government Contracts: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, receives funding from the City and County of San Francisco. EIN: 81-3036333.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Homeless Youth Alliance delivers free, harm-reduction-based direct services to youth ages 13-29 experiencing homelessness in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Core offerings include daily street outreach, one-on-one counseling, syringe access and disposal, mental health therapy, basic medical care, HIV/HCV testing, a buprenorphine clinic, transitional housing, the CAMP Safe Sleeping Village, and a part-time drop-in center (The Hive). All services are provided free of charge, free from judgment, and designed by and for the youth participants.

Product overview

Homeless Youth Alliance offers a comprehensive suite of harm reduction services for youth experiencing homelessness in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. The organization operates as a mobile, street-based program with a part-time drop-by center (The Hive), providing interconnected services including street outreach, one-on-one counseling, mental health therapy, medical care, syringe access and disposal, groups and workshops, HIV/HCV testing, a buprenorphine clinic, transitional housing, and the CAMP Safe Sleeping Village. Services are designed to meet youth where they are, using a non-judgmental, harm reduction approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Street-Based Outreach Daily street outreach program in which counselors walk Haight Street and neighboring parks for a minimum of three hours per day, distributing snacks, safer sex supplies, hygiene kits, and educational materials while conducting case management and therapy; generates over 12,000 contacts per year.
• One-on-One Counseling Individual counseling sessions conducted on the street or in local restaurants and cafes, providing non-judgmental emotional and practical support to identify high-risk behaviors, assess readiness for change, and connect youth to housing, benefits, and treatment referrals.
• Groups and Workshops Educational and creative workshops including the Game Group (10-25 youth playing board games or making art), Health Group, and Participant Planning Council for participant feedback on services.
• Mental Health Services Psychotherapy provided by on-staff therapist Nancy Mullin, PsyD and contracted therapists from the Harm Reduction Therapy Center (Irina Alexander LMFT, Jason Brown LCSW, Alisa de los Reyes LCSW), offered on-demand as single sessions or ongoing therapy in flexible settings including sidewalks, parks, cafes, and private offices.
• Syringe Access and Disposal San Francisco's only culturally specific syringe access and disposal program for youth and women, operating four nights per week across three youth-focused sites in the Haight and one female-identified-only site in the Mission District, with basic medical care provided at all sites.
• Medical Services Free basic medical services provided three evenings per week by licensed volunteer medical providers during syringe exchange, including referrals to methadone and suboxone programs.
• The Hive Drop-By Center Part-time drop-by location at 1572 Haight Street, open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3pm to 5pm for youth 29 and under, offering case management, referrals, snacks, hygiene supplies, animal-care products, and access to licensed therapists.
• Community Clean-Ups Monthly neighborhood cleanup program since 2005 in which staff, youth, residents, and merchants properly dispose of discarded syringes and distribute awareness materials on proper disposal methods.
• Transitional Housing Program Housing program for transition-age youth, part of HYA's expanded programming following its 2019 transition to an independent 501(c)(3).
• CAMP (Community Action Made 4 People) Safe Sleeping Village San Francisco's second Safe Sleeping Village operated by HYA in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing temporary safe sleeping accommodations.
• HIV/HCV Testing HIV and Hepatitis C testing provided as part of HYA's comprehensive health services for youth experiencing homelessness.
• Buprenorphine Clinic Medication-assisted treatment program for opioid use disorder, providing access to buprenorphine as part of HYA's harm reduction approach to substance use.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 13,000 at-risk youth annually with comprehensive services
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Harm Reduction Therapy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for mental health services provision. Therapists from the Harm Reduction Therapy Center (Irina Alexander LMFT, Jason Brown LCSW, Alisa de los Reyes LCSW) provide on-site therapy services at HYA locations including the syringe exchange and street outreach. Services are client-driven and may vary in focus and setting, providing crisis-oriented, insight-oriented, solution-focused, supportive, or symptom management therapy.
• San Francisco Needle ExchangecoreOthersThe San Francisco Needle Exchange (SFNE) was one of two predecessor organizations (along with Haight Ashbury Youth Outreach Team) that merged in 2006 to form Homeless Youth Alliance. SFNE was originally affiliated with Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc. HYA now operates syringe access programs from the former Free Clinic location.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Glide Foundation: Long-established San Francisco nonprofit offering meals, housing, harm reduction, and case management to people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Comparable in serving homeless populations in SF with a harm reduction orientation, but at much larger scale and broader demographic scope.
• St. Anthony Foundation: San Francisco nonprofit operating the Tenderloin Technology Lab, dining room, and a wide range of social services for low-income and homeless residents. Comparable in serving SF's homeless population with multi-program services, but at substantially larger scale.
• Dolores Street Community Services: San Francisco Mission District nonprofit providing shelter, transitional housing, and services for unhoused and immigrant community members. Comparable in geographic focus and shelter-plus-services model, though focused on adult and immigrant populations.

Direct peers

• LYRIC (Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center): San Francisco nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ youth with housing, leadership development, and community programs. Comparable in serving transition-age youth in SF with wraparound supports, with a narrower focus on LGBTQ+ identity.
• 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic: Bayview-Hunters Point-based nonprofit offering drop-in services, mental health care, case management, and syringe access to youth in San Francisco. Comparable as a youth-focused harm reduction and health services provider in the same city.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing shelter, housing, education, and health services to youth experiencing homelessness, ages 12-24. Directly comparable to HYA in target population, geography, and integrated service model, though Larkin Street operates a broader housing continuum.
• Hamilton Families: San Francisco nonprofit providing shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services primarily to families with children experiencing homelessness. Comparable in mission, geography, and shelter-plus-services model, though focused on family households rather than youth alone.
• Harm Reduction Therapy Center: San Francisco-based organization providing psychotherapy and counseling from a harm reduction framework, including dedicated services at HYA's syringe exchange. Directly comparable in clinical approach and overlapping service population.

Others

• National Harm Reduction Coalition: National advocacy and capacity-building organization advancing harm reduction policy and practice. Comparable as a thematic peer shaping the harm reduction ecosystem in which HYA operates, though it does not deliver direct services in SF.

Emerging players

• San Francisco AIDS Foundation: San Francisco nonprofit providing harm reduction, HIV/HCV testing, syringe access, and sexual health services. Comparable in syringe access and harm reduction services to overlapping populations, including LGBTQ youth and people who inject drugs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/homeless-youth-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Homeless Youth Alliance