The Power of Co-Designing Lived Experience
Isaac Sanders I September, 2024
Isaac Sanders I September, 2024
Harnessing the insights and creativity of young people with lived experience is crucial for developing effective solutions to youth homelessness. Together, we can build systems that meet their needs and empower them to thrive.
Co-design, a collaborative approach that involves end-users in developing products, services, and systems, has gained significant traction across various sectors in recent years. This approach recognizes that those who will ultimately use or be affected by a solution have valuable insights that can greatly enhance its effectiveness and relevance. Co-design becomes even more crucial when applied to social issues, as it empowers marginalized voices and ensures that interventions are truly responsive to community needs. In the realm of youth services, this approach takes on added significance, acknowledging that young people are experts in their own experiences and aspirations. Nowhere is this more evident and necessary than in addressing youth homelessness, where the involvement of youth and young adults with lived experience in homelessness is not just beneficial, but essential for creating lasting and impactful solutions. It’s a collaborative effort that we all have a role to play in, ensuring that their voices are heard and their experiences are valued in our collective efforts to end youth homelessness.
Young people who have experienced homelessness firsthand possess a unique understanding of the challenges and barriers they face. Their perspectives are authentic and grounded in real-world experiences, providing insights that policymakers and service providers might otherwise overlook. For example, the “Nothing About Us Without Us” principles emphasize the importance of including people with lived experience in all aspects of research, policy, and practice related to homelessness.
Best Practice: The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness recommends establishing youth advisory boards or councils to ensure ongoing input from young people with lived experience throughout the design and implementation of programs.
By involving youth in the design process, we can more easily identify gaps in existing services and programs. These young individuals can pinpoint where current systems fall short and suggest improvements that directly address their needs. For instance, the Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH) program in Colorado found that young people identified a need for more intensive, coach-like case management, which led to the development of the Pathways to Success model.
Best Practice: Conduct regular focus groups or listening sessions with youth who have experienced homelessness to assess and continuously improve existing services.
Co-design empowers young people by giving them a voice in shaping the systems that affect their lives. This approach recognizes their agency and expertise, shifting the narrative from viewing them as passive recipients of aid to active contributors to solutions. The National Prevention Learning Collaborative on Youth Homelessness, launched by the Administration for Children and Families and the Raikes Foundation, exemplifies this approach by bringing youth leaders to the table to contribute their expertise.
Best Practice: The City of Orlando’s approach demonstrates that youth should be compensated for their time and expertise when co-designing.
Programs and services co-designed with youth are more likely to be effective and relevant to the needs of the target population. For example, the Hamilton County Safe and Supported Community Plan, which focuses on preventing homelessness among LGBTQ youth, was developed with significant input from young people, leading to more targeted and effective interventions.
Best Practice: Use participatory action research methods to involve youth in all program development and evaluation stages.
When young people see their ideas and input reflected in programs, they’re more likely to engage with and trust these services. The City of Orlando’s cooking classes and mentorship program, developed through co-design with youth, demonstrated increased participation and trust-building between youth and service providers.
Best Practice: Create opportunities for ongoing feedback and adjustment of programs based on youth input, such as regular town hall meetings or anonymous suggestion systems.
Youth bring fresh perspectives and creative ideas that can lead to innovative approaches to tackling homelessness. For instance, the NEST collaborative in Houston/Harris County, which aims to prevent and end homelessness for LGBTQ youth, developed innovative strategies by incorporating the ideas and experiences of young people.
Best Practice: Host innovation challenges or hackathons for youth to generate new ideas for addressing homelessness.
To successfully implement co-design with youth, organizations should:
Best Practice: Develop a clear framework for youth engagement, such as the Youth Collaboration Toolkit created by A Way Home Canada. This toolkit provides guidance on meaningfully involving youth in all aspects of program design and implementation.
By embracing co-design with youth who have experienced homelessness, we can create more effective, responsive, and empowering solutions to address this critical issue. This approach improves the quality of services and contributes to the personal growth and empowerment of the young people involved in the process. We utilize these principles in our work regularly and can support you in implementing these practices for effective system change.
– Isaac Sanders