Centering Youth Voice: Driving Statewide Change for Youth Homelessness in Indiana

IHCDA and IN BoS CoC partnered with REdCon to better understand and address youth and young adult (YYA) homelessness across Indiana. While existing data provided a starting point, it lacked the depth of lived experience and system-level insight needed to drive effective statewide action. 

Leadership sought a comprehensive needs assessment to identify root causes, surface systemic barriers, and translate findings into actionable strategies for policy, programming, and cross-system coordination. 

Multi-Layered Data Analysis 

REdCon integrated environmental scans with analysis of statewide datasets (education, child services, health, and justice systems) to identify key risk factors, patterns, and predictors of youth homelessness. 

Lived Experience Engagement 

We designed and facilitated focus groups and stakeholder conversations with youth, young adults, families, and service providers—centering the voices of those most impacted. 

Statewide Stakeholder Survey 

We developed and deployed a survey capturing both quantitative and qualitative insights from YYA populations and service providers, strengthening the depth, scale, and validation of findings. 

REdCon delivered a comprehensive, people-centered needs assessment that bridged data and lived experience to inform decision-making. 

The work positioned Indiana leaders with clear, actionable insights to strengthen policy, improve coordination, and design more equitable, effective responses to youth homelessness. 

The result: a stronger statewide foundation to not only understand youth homelessness—but to address it with precision, equity, and sustained impact.