By: SARAH

SARAH — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:06:00 +0000

you know why some teenager get killed or act like a gang. i am one of them, i am 17 years old and i am a homeless i kicked from the house because the house is two small for 7 people. i went to the housing and i apply as a homeless, two mouths am hanging around with my friends and waiting a respond from the housing. i dont recieve any benefit, and i got alot of chance to sell illegal (hash) to feed my self but i didnt do that cause i know one day will effect me or maybe i will get killed .
if you trying to help the young people will not happend all this thing, all the place will be safe.
just to let you know why teenager find another way to help themselves.

By: James Bolas

James Bolas — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:58:25 +0000

I came across this posting. As someone who has been working with runaway and homeless youth (RHY) in NYC, NY State, Seattle, Nationwide and Internationally, I’ve always found it to be frustrating that we can’t get an accurate count of homeless youth. You’re right, homeless youth are different than homeless adults. However, they do, in fact, stay in shelters, just not adult shelters. Also, the available funding for youth shelters is highly limited and is actually even being cut back for Transitional Living Programs. The Family and Youth Services Bureau has even taken to funding Maternal Group Homes over Transitional Living Programs and seemingly at a lower standard than they have for Transitional Living Programs…something we’re trying to get a reponse from Sen. Carolyn McCarthy on. We’ve also been trying to get a common definition of Homeless Youth as part of the HEARTH Act, but that’s been dragging as well. It astounds me that everyone says that these are our children, but when it comes to the federal budget “our children” are always left in the cold (oftentimes literally!) with preference given to Defense funding. How do we expect for these youth who are abused, neglected, abandoned and rejected to find some stability to get back on their feet when their own government turns their back on them except when it’s in the form of political and conservative policy positioning and authoritative punishment? I know, I know, “he must be a bleeding heart liberal”…well, so what? Why shouldn’t my heart bleed for the safety of these youth? Hell! Why shouldn’t EVERYONE’S heart bleed?

Comments on: How many homeless youth are there?

By: SARAH

By: James Bolas