Larkin Street Youth Services: Lark-Inn for Youth

Lark-Inn for Youth

There are a myriad of services to help children. For those who are able to access them, school activities, charitable programs, even foster care help teens through the difficult years of adolescence. But then, they turn 18, and organized outside help dries up. Kids on the street still need care even after they reach the arbitrary milestone that society defines as adulthood, so Larkin Street Youth Services continues to help with specialized services for young people aged 18 to 24.

The Lark-Inn is San Francisco’s first full-service facility for older homeless youth. There, we provide emergency shelter where young adults can stabilize their lives. It is an entry point to any other LSYS programs they need, including case management, health care, and job training. As a youth-specific shelter, the Lark-Inn is able to meet the specific developmental needs of young people transitioning from adolescent to adulthood. Staff members balance compassion and accountability to develop trusting relationships with youth while encouraging them to reach their full potential.

Examples of success abound in the case histories of Lark-Inn residents. A 19-year-old from Kentucky escaped the home where she had been molested and eventually found shelter from homelessness at Lark-Inn, where she stayed long enough to complete Certified Nursing Assistant training and find a full time job. Another 19-year-old left gang life and overcame an abusive past at Lark-Inn, landing a job, building his savings, and finally signing a lease on his first apartment. An 18-year-old runaway living at Lark-Inn used LSYS employment programs to find a construction job and, with help from case managers, worked out his differences with his family.

These are not isolated tales. Ninety percent of Lark-Inn’s guests move on to more stable permanent homes after they leave us. Lark-Inn is simply the temporary respite they need before moving to the next level of recovery from street life.

The two-story facility includes 40 beds, a computer lab, kitchen and dining area, laundry facilities, bathrooms, and a kennel for pets.

Nearly 400 youth were housed at the Lark-Inn this past year.

Launched in 2000, the Lark-Inn is part of the City of San Francisco’s homeless shelter program and the only shelter designated for youth 18-24.

As an incentive to Lark-Inn residents who show ongoing progress toward goals identified in their case plan, the program offers Gateway, a semi-private living area that comes with a private bathroom with bathtub, a TV lounge and fewer restrictions. Gateway mirrors their next step in life, a more stable housing situation.

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