YP2F: The New Deal to End Youth Homelessness — with Josh Kogan & Aurora Higgs

Episode Notes

Tonny sits down with Josh Kogan (Director of Public Policy) and Aurora Higgs (Associate Director of Communications) from Away Home America to talk about their New Deal to End Youth Homelessness—a bold, nationwide policy roadmap built by and for young people with lived experience.

Together, they break down what it means to organize across states like California, Texas, and North Carolina; how storytelling transforms policy; and why belonging, faith, and fear all shape the systems we’re trying to change.

From Josh’s journey out of conservative ministry into policy advocacy to Aurora’s insight on trans leadership and building authentic coalitions, this episode shines a light on what real transformation looks like—from congregate shelters to cash transfer programs, from performative “reform” to radical belonging.

It’s a grounded, hopeful conversation that reminds us: ending youth homelessness isn’t just policy work—it’s people's work.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• The team’s second-favorite L.A. cities (and why it’s always Pasadena)
• Dexter O’Connell’s “second-favorite animal” meeting icebreaker
• What Measure A and “La Casa” actually fund in L.A. County
• Away Home America’s New Deal to End Youth Homelessness
• How Aurora & Josh built a cross-state advocacy tour (CA | TX | NC)
• Policy change: federal vs state vs local impact
• The power of staffers on the Hill and relationship-building in DC
• Faith, fear, and the courage to unlearn harmful theology
• Why trans and LGBTQ+ leadership matters in housing justice
• Storytelling as policy — how data + emotion change hearts
• “Trash & Treasure”: identifying good vs harmful state policies
• Building the New Deal’s five pillars: housing | family | economic | immigration | transformative justice
• Creating a movement led by youth voice—not prescriptive reform
• Finding hope, humor, and karaoke in the work

Connect with Away Home America

• 🌐 awayhomeamerica.org — Main site
• 📘 awayhomeamerica.info — Read The New Deal to End Youth Homelessness
• 📱 Instagram: @TheRealAwayHomeAmerica