Today a conversation about homeless young people in Baltimore City. The Abell Foundation’s recent report “No Place to Call Home” found that there are 1,421 young people under the age of 25 who are homeless and without a parent or guardian to look after them. That figure is a lot higher than a previously accepted number based on the findings of a report conducted Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2011. Numbers in the Abell Foundation report were based on the findings of a Youth REACH MD study out of The Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
There are only six homeless services providers that cater to the needs of youth. There are long wait lists to get into the programs and young people are often turned away.
So what’s being done to help these young people, and what are the barriers that keep them on the streets?
Megan Lucy is a freelance journalist and the author of the Abell Foundation report. She joins from KUCI in Irvine, CA.
Lara Law is the program director for Youth Empowered Society (YES), the only drop-in center for homeless youth in the city.
Danny Jones is sophomore psychology major at Morgan State University. He experienced homelessness for most of his childhood and now uses his experiences to counsel young people living in similar circumstances.
They join Tom in-studio to discuss the report.
The Youth Empowered Society (YES) is always seeking donations for the 20-30 young people who drop in four days a week. They need winter clothing, hygiene supplies, food items and money to help their young people find permanent housing solutions. You can find their wish list here. Donations are tax deductible. The center is located at 2315 N. Charles St. in Baltimore.
Statement from Youth REACH MD representatives: The study on which The Abell Foundation report was based was conducted by The Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland School of Social Work with support from the Maryland General Assembly and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The study was conducted as part of the series of studies known as Youth REACH MD which will be continuing in 2017 in order to bring additional refinements to our understanding of unaccompanied youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Listeners can learn moreabout Youth REACH MD by visiting its website, www.youthreachmd.org
