Youth homelessness
Two VCU School of Social Work faculty are seeking to prevent and ultimately end youth homelessness through a series of innovative and collaborative programs, several at the national level. Associate professors Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., and Maurice Gattis, Ph.D., regularly work with youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, recognizing the value of their lived experiences and bringing their perspectives into projects as participants and co-leaders.
There are an estimated 4.2 million youth, young adults or teens experiencing homelessness each year in the United States, according to Covenant House, a privately funded charity supporting young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking.
Dr. Wagaman's work in the Richmond and Virginia communities dates to 2014, and she has worked closely with Dr. Gattis on several major initiatives since he joined the school in 2019, most notably in developing a youth shared-housing project, Marsha and Marian's Neighbors, and in securing a spot in the Grand Challenge Initiative from A Way Home America.
Dr. Wagaman, who co-founded a Richmond-based youth participatory action research team focusing on youth homelessness, also has worked as a special advisor with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; has helped develop the National Council on Youth Homelessness under the National Youth Homelessness Partnership; and is currently leading a project on students experiencing homelessness who are without a parent or guardian.
This doesn’t happen in places – the idea of who’s involved. It has come full circle. We’re now at a place where we have graduates [former residents] who have transitioned to our advisory board and are informing the future of the program. That’s big."
– Maurice Gattis, Ph.D., on Marsha and Marian's Neighbors
This group of young people is a pretty invisible population. In Virginia, for example, and in a lot of states, there aren’t really many youth shelters or services specifically for youth under 18.”
– Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., on students experiencing homelessness who have no parent or guardian
Seeing an 'invisible population'
Dr. Wagaman is collaborating with youth, researchers and Virginia's Project-HOPE, which administers the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to design a research study on high school-age students who are experiencing homelessness and are without a parent or guardian. A vision grant from a national organization will help expand the work. Learn more
Honored as a 'steadfast advocate'
Dr. Wagaman was honored in Spring 2025 with one of VCU's inaugural Excellence in Community Engagement Awards in the category Community-Engaged Research Partnership for work that centers dignity and equity. Her nominators praised her for creating "safe spaces where people can learn and grow." Learn more
National Youth Homelessness Partnership
"Progress happens when we come together as a community": Meet the members of the partnership's National Council on Youth Homelessness. Learn more
Working at the federal level
"Alex is so known and respected in the community": Dr. Wagaman has worked as a special advisor with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness on a youth homelessness plan. Learn more
Marsha and Marian's Neighbors
"We were putting our radical imagination into practice": The evidence-based, co-designed youth shared-housing project served 40 Richmond households with individuals ages 18-24 who identify as LGBTQIA+, pregnant and/or parenting. Learn more
Grand Challenge initiative
"There is so much synergy with what we are doing": Drs. Gattis and Wagaman collaborated to help Richmond secure one of 10 selections nationwide in a project from A Way Home America to find solutions to end homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color. Learn more
Archived news
Driven by lived experience, VCU social work student Jae Lange targets homelessness
"I was born (a social worker), and I will die one," says the social work student, who was honored by the Virginia Housing Alliance as an Emerging Leader in 2024.
In Cape Town, social work professor Maurice Gattis found 'the whole city was my learning lab'
Dr. Gattis has partnered with the University of the Western Cape and a local shelter to focus on research activities around LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness in South Africa. Each spring break, he takes social work students and other VCU majors on a study abroad trip.
Doctoral student wins award to help fund research into gender equity and housing instability
Aaron Kemmerer earned one of 13 national awards from the Grand Challenge for Social Work in the category End Homelessness.
Faculty profile: Dr. Maurice Gattis on LGBTQ youth homelessness
On a public relations career track. Dr. Gattis pivoted to social work in part because he was living in New York City and seeing people who didn't have places to live.
Real research: Elaine Williams examines how service providers can better serve needs of homeless youth
Williams, a social work student who experienced homelessness in high school, joined Advocates for Richmond Youth to be part of a participatory action research team.
Richmond youth who have faced homelessness and housing instability use research and advocacy to help others in similar situations
Advocates for Richmond Youth, co-founded by Dr. Wagaman, provides support around youth homelessness and serves as a research resource for young people to study their own and their peers' experiences, informing advocacy for better services and policies.