The Official And Now Love Podcast: www.andnowlove.com Safe Place for Youth: www.safeplaceforyouth.org/ In this urgent and hope-filled episode of And Now Love, Cynthia Marks speaks with Erika Hartman, CEO of Safe Place for Youth (SPY), about the realities of youth homelessness in Los Angeles and what actually helps young people stabilize. Erika explains that around 3,000 young people experience homelessness on any given night in LA—many of them unsheltered and exposed to exploitation and danger. She shares a core truth: youth homelessness often begins with the absence of loving, supportive adults, including youth aging out of child welfare and LGBTQ+ youth rejected at home. Together they explore why “bootstraps” thinking fails—without safety, showers, sleep, and a place to store belongings, it’s nearly impossible to get a job or keep appointments. Erika walks through SPY’s wraparound model, from street outreach and drop-in services to emergency shelter and transitional housing, plus trauma-informed healing arts that build trust before therapy ever begins. The conversation also tackles policy: how systems can criminalize exploited minors, why youth funding set-asides matter, and why prevention is the only way to stop adult homelessness from growing. Ultimately, Erika’s message is clear—young people are resilient, and when we show up consistently with care, they can recalibrate, rebuild, and thrive. Host: Cynthia Marks, creator/host of And Now Love. Featured Guests: Erika Hartman, CEO of Safe Place for Youth Core ideas: youth homelessness, safe places to sleep, trauma-informed healing programs Episode length: 00:55:35 Follow our socials: Instagram / / andnowlove.podcast Facebook / / And Now Love Podcast Youtube / / @AndNowLovePodcast TikTok / / and.now.love.podc 00:00 — Who Erika Is + What SPY Does 06:50 — Why Youth Become Homeless (and who’s most vulnerable) 13:40 — “Bootstraps” Myth + Why Housing First Matters 20:30 — SPY’s Drop-In Model: Services Under One Roof 27:20 — Trust + Peer Mentors + Jobs as a Pathway 34:10 — Mental Health + Healing Arts as the Entry Point 41:00 — Prevention: Youth Homelessness Becomes Adult Homelessness 48:00 — Policy, Funding, and How the Community Can Help