Youth Empowered Society (YES) is an organization that prevents and eliminates youth homelessness through the synergy of youth/peer and ally partnerships. The organization’s vision is that all of Baltimore’s youth will easily access supportive services and stable housing to become powerful in their own lives. 

YES grew out of the work of the Baltimore Homeless Youth Initiative (BHYI) Youth Leaders, a group of youth with personal experience of homelessness, and youth allies, that formed as an arm of the BHYI Coalition in 2009. In particular, BHYI Youth Leaders identified the need for a comprehensive drop-in center for youth, and this vision was realized when YES opened its center doors in October 2012. For almost a decade, YES offered in-house case management on a daily basis that focused on connecting to employment and housing and also included assistance obtaining identification, enrolling in school, navigating financial aid, accessing public benefits, advocacy in legal proceedings, accessing childcare, and more. Peer and allied case managers would assist youth to create action plans, set self-determined goals, and work towards stability. Other areas of programmatic focus/expertise that arose in response to youth needs included workforce development, mental health support, rapid rehousing, pregnancy and parenting support, legal advocacy, and harm reduction.