New warming center in Harrisburg aims to support homeless youth and young adults
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Asia Tabb
AIRED; March 10, 2026
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Youth homelessness remains a significant issue in the Harrisburg area, affecting thousands of young people in Dauphin County. Local nonprofit leaders say the problem is larger than many residents realize, and new programs are working to provide housing, resources, and support for vulnerable youth.
Dee Allen, executive director of Thrive Housing Services, said the number of young people experiencing homelessness locally highlights the urgency of the issue.
“In 2024, there were about 2,700 homeless youth in Dauphin County, and this is just school-age youth between kindergarten and 12th grade,” Allen said.
That number does not include young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, another group facing housing instability. Thrive alone received roughly 1,000 referrals for homeless youth seeking help.
Allen founded Thrive after experiencing homelessness herself as a child.
“I experienced homelessness when I was 10 years old,” she said. “In that experience I felt like I was invisible and that there were no opportunities for kids to be heard as we went through our journey of homelessness.”
Her work supporting young people began long before launching the organization. As a teenager, Allen volunteered in church daycare programs and later worked with children through summer camps while attending college. After graduating, she worked in juvenile probation, where she continued to encounter young people struggling with unstable housing.
During that time, Allen noticed many young people were being directed to shelters that were not designed to meet their specific needs.
“Kids were getting dropped off at homeless shelters that didn’t really have the ability to service kids and their needs,” she said.
Thrive’s housing work began with Allen purchasing her first property in 2008, initially renting units to low-income families in the community. As she renovated properties and worked closely with tenants, word spread about the quality of the housing and her commitment to residents.
Community referrals increased as tenants shared their experiences with others.
“People started saying, ‘You should get with Dee, she really cares about people,’” Allen said.
Over time, the housing program evolved to serve people transitioning back into stable living situations. The turning point came when Thrive received a referral for an 18-year-old aging out of foster care.
Once Thrive began helping young adults leaving foster care, more referrals for youth began to follow.
“That’s kind of how it started,” Allen said.
Today, Thrive continues to expand housing opportunities through a landlord recruitment program that partners with other property owners to create additional housing for young people.
But Allen said stable housing alone is not enough to help young people successfully transition out of homelessness.
“A lot of the issue of homelessness is regarding time management, budgeting, and mental health,” she said.
That’s why Thrive incorporates life-skills training, mentorship, and goal-setting programs alongside housing support. Young people in the program can receive training in financial literacy, mental health awareness, cooking, and even help obtaining a driver’s license.
“All these tools are added to the toolbox of the kids and residents that we work with,” Allen said. “It allows them to provide the stability they need to maintain their housing.”
Thrive recently expanded its efforts with the opening of a youth and young adult warming center on North Third Street in Harrisburg. The center is designed as a welcoming space where young people experiencing homelessness can access basic necessities and connect with support services.
When someone enters the center, staff and volunteers greet them and ask what they need.
“Do you need food? Do you need drinks? A place to rest?” Allen said. “We want to make sure they feel welcome and that it’s a place they can come and not be judged.”
The warming center serves youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24. To ensure the environment is safe and supportive for all participants, the space can be divided into separate areas for minors and adults, when necessary, with staff monitoring both groups.
The center also serves as a gateway for young people who may not yet be connected to housing programs.
Allen said Thrive has already seen success stories from individuals who learned about the organization through the new center.
In one case, a young man who had recently been housed through Thrive encouraged a friend to visit the warming center. That visit eventually connected the friend to the housing program as well.
Another young person who visited the center was staying between the emergency room and a local shelter. With the help of a volunteer who spoke Spanish, staff were able to connect him to the county’s coordinated entry system for homelessness services and secure temporary shelter while he awaits housing placement.
Allen said stories like these show how critical it is to create accessible spaces where young people can seek help.
“They can come here, engage with others, and get the support that they need,” she said.
