This journal article describes a study that used Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methods coupled with Social Justice Youth Development with six youth experiencing housing instability who were accessing educational, life skill, and developmental services from a drop-in center in Chicago. The participants were active members of youth-centered research workshops. The study aimed to address three questions: 1) In what ways do current youth programs and policies support and/or limit positive youth development (PYD) among unaccompanied youth experiencing housing instability? 2) How might a YPAR approach support PYD of youth experiencing housing instability? 3) How do factors of housing instability, trauma, and race shape the developmental trajectories of unaccompanied youth aged 18-24? Findings from this study reveal the need for increased funding for community-based, PYD services; consistent, yet flexible workshops for highly mobile youth; and safe spaces in which youth can explore and analyze the sociopolitical contexts shaping their experiences to inform their approaches in navigating various social systems and structures. (author abstract modified)