Young People to the Front

Episode Notes:

Sherry Bradford is a foster youth advocate, Prevention Early Intervention Training Coordinator at CASA of Los Angeles, educational consultant with Alliance for Children's Rights, and MSW candidate at Cal State Long Beach. In this episode, she sits down with Tonny to talk about her journey through the foster care system, how she got into advocacy, and her role in creating the TA(Y)LK To Me Podcast.

Topics covered:

Episode Notes:

Myriah didn't set out to become an advocate. After emancipating from foster care, she started sharing her story and the work just took off from there. From being featured in the LA Times, to representing her community as Miss Compton Princess, to serving four years on the LA County Board of Supervisors Youth Commission, she's spent years making sure young people in care are in the room before decisions get made, not after.

In this episode, she talks about what it actually looks like to center youth voice in institutional spaces, the difference between youth-led healing and adult-led extraction, and why knowing your rights in foster care is something most young people don't find out until after they've already aged out. She also gets into her work with the Alliance of Children's Rights, the educational rights video series she helped create with the Office of Child Protection, and why it matters that young people leave these conversations with closure and not open wounds.

Oh, and she's also Chef Smiley. She talks about how cooking became therapy during her time in care, how she turned that into a career during the pandemic, and her dream of one day bringing culinary skills to foster youth.

In this episode:

Episode Notes:

What happens when the people closest to the problem are the last ones supported by the system?

In this episode, we sit down with Evelyn Karina Rodriguez (they/them) — artist, activist, researcher, and founder of 404 Found — and Christopher Hendricks, youth system strategist and MSW candidate at Cal State Fullerton. Both are rooted in Southern California, and both found their way to youth homelessness advocacy not by choice, but because the work found them.

Together, they get honest about what it actually looks like to advocate from lived experience — the code-switching required for survival, the "favorite child" phenomenon that rewards polished voices over authentic ones, and what it means to show up audaciously in spaces that weren't built for you.

They also dig into what's missing: real mentorship pipelines, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and organizations that move beyond trauma-informed language toward trauma-informed action.

In this episode:

About JBAY and the Guests

• What JBAY does as an advocacy organization (not direct service)
• JBAY's work on state policy and budget investments for youth homelessness
• How both Simone and Brandon started in direct service before moving to advocacy

What is HHAP?

• Flexible local aid administered by California Department of Housing and Community Development
• Funding goes to 58 counties, 14 largest cities, and 44 homeless Continuums of Care (CoCs)
• The "secret sauce": 10% youth set-aside policy requiring minimum funding for youth services
• Why young people don't get served without designated funding requirements

The Major Success: 24% Reduction in Youth Homelessness

• Youth homelessness dropped from 13,000 to 9,900 (2019-2024)
• Unsheltered youth homelessness dropped even more sharply by 42%
• Over 50,000 young people served by HHAP to date
• This happened while overall CA homelessness increased 24% and national youth homelessness increased 11%

How Different Communities Used HHAP

• LA invested heavily in rapid rehousing (one-third of statewide spending)
• Santa Clara County adjusted allocations year-to-year based on community needs
• 27% of grantees invested MORE than the required 10% in youth services
• Rural communities built youth homelessness infrastructure from nothing
• Importance of COCs, cities, and counties coordinating services

The Current Funding Crisis

• HHAP absent from 2025-26 state budget for first time since 2019
• 2026-27 budget promises $500 million (half of previous $1 billion)
• Youth funding would drop from $80 million to $40 million annually
• Federal cuts compound the problem (HUD capping permanent housing at 30%, YHDP renewals now competitive)
• Unknown priorities of next California governor

Why Young People Are Vulnerable

• Coordinated entry systems prioritize chronic homelessness and comorbid conditions
• Youth who bounce between housing situations don't get prioritized
• Youth homelessness is less visible than adult homelessness
• Without set-aside policies, youth generally won't be served when funding is tight

Path to Functional Zero

• What functional zero means: homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring
• California is trending toward functional zero for youth
• Need sustained funding to maintain progress
• Risk of reversing the 24% reduction without HHAP

Data and Challenges

• Point-in-Time (PIT) counts are undercounts but useful for year-to-year comparisons
• COVID-era data limited because PIT count wasn't required
• Need more sophisticated tracking of recidivism and long-term outcomes
• Communities should track whether people maintain stable housing

Local and Philanthropic Options

• LA's Measure A could supplement HHAP if it includes youth set-aside
• Communities should advocate for youth-specified funding locally
• Philanthropy can help during rough patches but isn't sustainable long-term
• Government's role to sustain homelessness response system

How to Take Action

• Join JBAY's advocacy coalition for sustained HHAP investment
• Write letters and meet with state senators and assembly members
• Attend Sacramento hearings and provide public comment
• Advocate on social media and talk to media
• Contact federal representatives about cuts
• Advocate for youth set-aside policies in local investments
• Ensure advocacy comes from across California, not just major cities

Key statistics

• 24% reduction in youth homelessness in California (2019-2024)
• 42% reduction in unsheltered youth homelessness
• Over 50,000 youth served by HHAP to date
• 27% of grantees exceeded the 10% youth funding requirement
• Youth funding at risk of dropping from $80 million to $40 million annually

Website: jbay.org 

Report: "Investing in Impact: How State Investment Reduced Youth Homelessness in California"

Episode Notes

This week on Young People at the Front, Tonny, Robin, and Fatine open with banter about meeting your younger self. 

Then, Tonny sits down with Cutter Palacios, an actor, intimacy coordinator, and mental health educator whose story rewrites what survival, resilience, and belonging can look like. Cutter moved to Los Angeles at 19 with $500, a dream, and nowhere to go. For two and a half years, they lived out of a compact SUV — sleeping beside a fire station in Burbank, brushing their teeth at Starbucks, and chasing auditions between shifts at Canter’s Deli. What started as survival became a study in self-sufficiency and courage — and ultimately, a search for community that would lead to an unexpected place: the kink and sex-positive world of Threshold.

In this candid conversation, Cutter shares how that world became a lifeline — not just a place of sexual exploration, but one of trust, structure, empathy, and belonging. It’s where they met their first roommate, found affordable housing, and eventually helped lead and found new organizations like The Next Generation Los Angeles (TNG-LA), a free, sliding-scale community space for 18–35-year-olds exploring consent, identity, and connection.

Tonny opens up too, reflecting on his own experience navigating youth homelessness and the quiet shame that can come with survival. Together, they dismantle stereotypes, redefine what “home” really means, and explore how unconventional spaces from dungeons to diners  can become sanctuaries for healing.

It’s a vulnerable, funny, and radically compassionate episode about finding your people, claiming your story, and remembering that community real community is always a little inconvenient.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• “If you could meet yourself at any age…” — a banter that turns surprisingly therapeutic
• Cutter’s move from Texas to Los Angeles at 19
• Living out of a Chevy Blazer, brushing teeth at Starbucks, and chasing auditions
• The invisible face of youth homelessness in LA
• Tonny shares his own experience surviving in his car while attending culinary school
• The turning point: discovering the Threshold community
• How sex-positive and kink spaces became a lifeline for belonging and support
• Founding The Next Generation Los Angeles (TNG-LA)
• Community as inconvenience — why showing up matters
• Breaking stigma around “van life” and redefining homelessness
• How kink culture models consent, care, and mutual trust
• Mental health, identity, and finding balance in the entertainment industry
• The four pillars of human need: belonging, independence, generosity, and competency
• From isolation to partnership — Cutter’s reflections on love, safety, and purpose
• What “home” really means when you build it yourself

Connect with Cutter Palacios

• @TNGLosAngeles — The Next Generation LA Linktree
• Mental Health Resources: Association of Mental Health Coordinators

Axel Pecero, Is a young advocate and father hailing from San Pedro, CA, serves as a dedicated advocate for foster youth. Currently an advocate by California Youth Connection (CYC). Axel is deeply committed to empowering and uplifting his community. He is pursuing his education at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, striving to expand his knowledge and skills. With a passion for entrepreneurship, Axel aspires to establish his own businesses in the future, aiming to create opportunities for himself and others.

Currently: Axel has been held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County since his August arrest.The 25-year-old former foster youth and father, who was brought to the United States from Mexico as a small child, is being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County and faces possible deportation. 

This episode was recorded a couple days before Axel got detained

Episode Notes:

• Favorite Place in San Pedro: Axel shares his love for Palms (White Point Royal Palms), describing it as a beautiful ocean-facing spot where he spent significant time as a teenager. He contrasts San Pedro's sheltered culture with Los Angeles.
• Childhood Memories and Early Experiences: Axel recalls working for his uncle's business, Smoothies by the Yard, selling candy apples for $9 each. They bond over karaoke favorites and discuss local San Pedro rappers including Ramble, T Mac, Cash, and Miguel.
• Transition to Homelessness: Axel shares his journey from kinship care at 16 to homelessness after losing his job and savings. He describes living in various encampments including tents, RVs, and under bridges, emphasizing how community members supported each other.
• Finding Stability Through Education: Axel explains how enrolling in school and securing housing through LA Room and Housing helped him achieve stability and begin rebuilding his life.
• Advocacy Work Begins: Axel describes being hired as a Juvenile Justice Task Force liaison for California Youth Connection (CYC), marking the start of his advocacy career for foster youth rights and policy reform.
• Mental Health and Self-Care: Tonny and Axel discuss mental health management which involves painting, and rapping. Axel reveals his overprotective parenting style shaped by his own experiences and the importance of balancing advocacy with personal wellbeing.

On this weeks episode guest host Robin sits down for a conversation with Sofie, parker, and dwight to talk about the direct cash transfer pilot program in Oregon. For Context Oregon ranks third nationally in youth homelessness (1,315 youth) despite small population Nationwide youth homelessness increased 10% in 2024

Program Structure

• Oregon provided $1,000/month for 24 months plus a one-time $3,000 enrichment fund to 120 young people (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness
• Optional supportive services ("plus" component) included case management, job counseling, and financial planning

Key Outcomes

• Housing: 91% stably housed by program exit; homelessness dropped from 30% to 9%
• Income: Average monthly income increased 235% (from $614 to $2,059)
• Employment: Full-time employment rose from 16% to 24%
• Parents: 25 participants living with their children by program end (up from 19)

Participant Profile

• 60% female, 32% queer, 43% Native American or Native Multiracial
• 61% had been homeless for 1-4 years
• 42% had high school diplomas, 40% did not complete high school

Challenges

• $1,000/month insufficient to cover rent alone (Portland median: $1,380 for 1-bedroom)
• 54% felt uncertain about maintaining housing after program ends
• Low participation in optional group services
• Transportation and childcare cited as major employment barriers
• Every $1 invested in supportive housing saves $3.30 in shelter, healthcare, and criminal justice costs

The team kicks off with classic YP2F banter—Tonny, Robin, and Fatine swap summer stories, argue about when “summer actually ends,” and debate the best concerts of their lives. From Beyoncé at SoFi to Oasis at Wembley and a Big Sur camping trip gone slightly wrong (watch out for wasps), the crew ends up reflecting on what makes live experiences so transformative: connection, community, and the memories that outlast the season.

Then, Tonny sits down for a deeply personal, expansive conversation with Dr. Eric Rice, a leading researcher in youth homelessness and social networks, formerly of USC and now at UNC Chapel Hill.

Eric traces his journey from DJ and record collector to social-work scholar—sharing how music, belonging, and compassion shaped his career. The conversation unpacks how youth experiencing homelessness build resilience, navigate relationships, and find community—even in the most unstable conditions.

Tonny also opens up about his own story—how survival, stigma, and self-compassion intersect—and the two reflect on the ways belonging can literally change a life. The episode moves from vinyl records to HIV prevention, from MySpace to AI, and always circles back to the human need to connect.

It’s an hour that feels like both a case study and a heart-to-heart—rooted in sound, story, and solidarity.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• When does summer actually end?
• The best concerts of everyone’s lives (Oasis, Beyoncé, Wembley vs. SoFi)
• Tonny’s obsession with drum corps and the Gay Men’s Chorus
• Robin’s London concert adventure and the magic of public transit
• Dr. Eric Rice on his journey from funk DJ to youth homelessness researcher
• How volunteering at My Friend’s Place changed everything
• Music, community, and belonging as forms of healing
• The reality of youth homelessness—beyond stereotypes
• Survival, resilience, and self-compassion in hard times
• Early HIV prevention work and the evolution of PreP
• The rise of social media (from MySpace to TikTok) and connection online
• Belonging as the cornerstone of solving homelessness
• Tonny and Eric’s shared reflections on recovery, purpose, and finding your people

Connect with Dr. Eric Rice

• Current: Professor, Associate Dean for Research and Director, USC Center for AI in Society
• Research: Youth Homelessness, Social Networks, Public Health

Featured in: YP2F Zine (Belonging issue)

Episode Notes
Host Tonny St. James sits down with artist, organizer, and consultant Amanda Nicholson to unpack the realities of navigating homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic—and the urgent need to rebuild systems with dignity at the center.

Amanda shares her journey from couch surfing in high school to surviving homelessness in San Diego and Los Angeles, and how those lived experiences fueled her transition into grassroots advocacy, workshops, and consulting. Together, they explore the failures of housing programs that label people “service resistant,” the challenges of navigating dehumanizing social systems, and the radical possibility of harm reduction, rest, and direct cash support as tools for true transformation.

This conversation is as much about survival as it is about vision: what it means to claim humanity in spaces that erase it, and how art, organizing, and unapologetic truth-telling can spark systemic change.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• Navigating homelessness in San Diego vs. Los Angeles during COVID
• How Project Roomkey closures exposed systemic cruelty
• Why “service resistant” is a damaging and false narrative
• The role of art, consulting, and research in shaping advocacy
• Harm reduction principles beyond substance use: dignity, rest, and autonomy
• Tokenization vs. authentic inclusion of lived experience voices
• Rebuilding social safety nets from scratch instead of reforming broken systems
• The promise of direct cash transfers and affordable housing

Connect with Amanda Nicholson:

• Clear Path NYC: clearpathnyc.org

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