HOMELESS YOUTH

Homeless Youth:
Youth, ages 10 – 21, who are unaccompanied by an adult family member or care giver.

Statistics

"There have always been homeless and runaway youth. Some youth are homeless because their families or parents are homeless. Other youth are homeless and unaccompanied by an adult. Society has always had to confront the reality that family conflicts, domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, chemical/alcohol dependency, and mental illness have resulted in children becoming homeless and alone. Many youth become "throw away" children being forced from their homes by their families due to abuse or neglect or runaway due to threats of violence or inhabitable conditions found in their homes. Every night in MN there are hundreds of unaccompanied, homeless youth."1

Homelessness is often not noticed in the city even though millions of commuters drive by thousands of homeless youth on freeways every day. It is relatively not seen by our society because it is spread out, bad for business (authorities keep the homeless away from areas that draw our urban crowds), not a new problem (our society has grown weary of it), not an easy fix, and we choose to look the other way.

As Source focuses on reaching out to 14-25 year olds who are skeptical and alienated (Note; statistics listed do not include those over 21), homelessness is a definite part of our people group. The number of homeless young people dramatically increases in the summer. Young people leaving abusive homes for the first time often wait till summer (partially because of weather and partially because school is no longer in session) and there is also a large homeless group that travels north in the summer time.

Many youth stay in abandoned buildings, under bridges, and in stairwells. They sneak into homes of acquaintances, "couch hop" (move from one acquaintances couch to another), and often accept invitations from total strangers just to have a safe place to sleep.1 The documented statistics listed show how safe housing is a monumental ingredient for any homeless youth to overcome their present circumstances.

Ten to thirteen percent of homeless youth have sexual relations to obtain shelter, clothing, food or other things to survive. Many youth will allow adults to sexually assault or physically abuse them in order to keep a stable housing option)1. Every year in Minnesota alone, 700 to 1,000+ kids are prostituting their bodies just so they can survive.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, at the very least, they had the option of safe housing vs. selling their bodies?

Transitional Housing: Part of the Solution
The Minneapolis/St. Paul rental occupancy rate is above 99% which has driven rental prices up. Currently rental prices in what has historically been the lower-income neighborhoods are comparable to the suburbs. Even if they can afford it, most young adults are undesirable to rent to because they do not have any type of rental or credit history.

The 2000 Gaps Analysis estimates in Hennepin County alone an overwhelming homeless youth need of 468 shelter beds (which only 47 exist leaving an unmet need of 421) and a greater need of 558 transitional housing beds (which only 89 exist leaving an unmet need of 469). The report also ranks homeless youth transitional housing "high" on its relative priority scale.4

The only transitional housing program (for homeless young people) has only 30 spaces and a waiting list of six to eight months. Rich Wayman, Collaborative Director of Street Works, says "Transitional housing is by far the biggest physical need for homeless youth." Not only is there less than 10% shelter beds available for the number of homeless, but there is usually a 30 day limit. Without transitional housing they are forced to return to the streets.

Housing/Drop-ins & Outreach Staff listed as "High" & "High+" priority
Out of the 21 categories, the 2000 Gaps Analysis rated transitional housing as "High" and also points out the current large need for outreach workers and drop-in center workers by ranking them "High+" on its relative priority scale.4 The number of current outreach workers listed are drawn from government social service, private non-profits, religious, and non-religious organizations. There are only three drop-in centers specific to the homeless youth population in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.5

Hennepin County Continuum of Care: 2000 Gaps Analysis
Unaccompanied Youth Needs and Services

Read how Source has been using Housing/Drop-ins & Outreach Staff to minister for over five years as well as our future vision and need for facilities to continue.

History

Joshua House

Future Vision

Source Outreach Staff Experiences
A young girl, claiming to be 18, attended an outreach event we hosted at a local coffee shop this spring. "Mary" was coming down off a hit of heroin and Source staff Jessica Wohler asked her, "Are you all right?" Mary sarcastically replied, "Why would you care?" They began to talk and Mary seemed in disbelief that Jessica was sincerely interested. Mary got tears in her eyes as she began to talk about being trapped, referring to cycles of drugs and prostitution.

The same night a young man living at the Joshua House was approached by a young prostitute to try to get a fake ID. The girl was a 13-year-old runaway from Iowa. After talking for awhile, she allowed him to drive her to a runaway shelter to call her parents. The runaway shelter told him her parents left Iowa to come get her right away. Minneapolis/St. Paul is a location that draws youth from two to three states away.

References of statistics

1. Homeless Youth Crisis: An Understatement in Minnesota, Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis, 1999
2. MN Homeless Youth Needs Analysis: House File 218, Senate File 281, MN Homeless Youth Coalition and MN Association of Runaway Youth Services, 1999
3. Statewide Survey of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth, Wilder Research Center, October 1997
4. Hennepin County Continuum of Care, 2000 Gaps Analysis, March 2000
5. Rich Wayman, Collaborative Director of Street Works, June 2000