The Host Home model is a home-based alternative to emergency shelter. Host home programs partner with community members who provide housing for a young person at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Host home programs typically work with host families who are paired with youth they don’t know, sometimes called “stranger-match” hosting. A variation of this model works with youth who are already staying with an informal host or have youth identify potential hosts from their existing support network. The adapted model can provide better cultural and social supports.

This practice brief summarizes the differences between these two approaches to the host home model and the potential benefits of chosen family or kinship hosting.