WEDNESDAY 27, FEBRUARY 2013

5 ways to end youth homelessness

We've all seen them. They sprawl in groups of three or four on the sidewalks outside Seattle's
downtown businesses, maybe with a big dog curled beside them. Their multiple piercings,
tattoos and shaven heads make them look savage, and layers of shapeless clothing make them
appear bigger than they really are. Smoking, grunting at each other, refusing to meet our eyes
(most of us look away anyhow), homeless youth seem determined to hold us at a sardonic
distance even as their scrawled cardboard signs beg us for help.

When a young relative of mine was homeless for a year, I realized how much of this is a
masquerade. In some ways it's similar to the grownup facades assumed by American
adolescents anywhere, except there's more at stake on the streets. A homeless youngster looks
tough to ward off exploitation and assault.

Understandably, building effective programs for these youth is very different from working with
homeless adults and families. Besides shelter, teens and twentysomethings left on their own
need programs that will patiently break through their fear and cynicism while drawing on their
natural vigor and hunger for independence, and that will provide the tools necessary for
achieving healthy self-sufficiency. "The great thing about these kids," says Melinda Giovengo,
YouthCare executive director, "is if you build it, they will come."

Last weeks National Alliance to End Homelessness conference in Seattle featured dozens of
successful programs across the U.S. The best give homeless youth a meaningful role in
program planning. They build on the innate tendency of adolescents to bond with small groups
that feel like surrogate families, and teach group members to encourage each other in behaviors
that will lead to a better life. Successful programs also ensure that LGBT kids who represent
20 to 40 percent of homeless youngsters, but just 4 to 10 percent of youth in general feel
welcome.

Estimating the number of homeless unaccompanied youth (12-17) and young adults (18-25) is
difficult because they often hide their plight from adults who may be predatory or punitive. In
King County, 4,000 to 5,000 young people are homeless at one time or another each year. The
January 24, 2013, count of unaccompanied youngsters in the county who lacked shelter or were
staying in emergency shelters, or who were about to lose their temporary lodgings, totaled 776.
The Seattle Police Department has estimated that there are 500 to 2,000 homeless youth in
Seattle on any given night.

How do we best deal with these kinds of numbers? Here are five ideas from the conference that
seemed especially interesting, as well as thrifty.

1. Preventing youth homelessness and reuniting families: Kids are less likely to leave home in
the first place if they get along with their parents. Cocoon House teaches parenting skills to
adults wanting better relationships with their children ages 13 to 17. Coaching is done through
confidential phone consultations, support groups and in-home family counseling. Outreach staff
reconnect runaway children with their parents when it looks as if strategic help can improve
family dynamics. Speedy staff footwork on the streets is critical because, as one conference-
goer said, Pimps and drug dealers do amazing outreach.

Prevention and reconnection have the added benefit of reducing demands on more costly
services. Of course, returning youth to abusive homes is never desirable, and reunions with
families are almost never feasible for those who have aged out of foster care at 18. The latter
group represents more than 10 percent of the homeless youth population and typically spends
two to four years on the streets. See Crosscut's recent article about the personal and
community effects of aging out of foster care.

2. Ensuring education and employment opportunities: YouthCare connects homeless kids with
adults who teach them the academic and job skills needed for future self-sufficiency. Many
youngsters in the program secure internships in real-world fields such as construction, food
service and computer technology. All participating youth are paid for their time. Program costs
are kept low through volunteer support and partnerships with businesses, private foundations,
other nonprofits and faith communities.

3. Sending strong messages: The general public and elected officials must see the value of
taking smart steps, now, to end youth homelessness. Conference participants learned from
Fostering Media Connections and others how agencies can frame compelling messages aimed
at different audiences. Delivery strategies included ways of engaging traditional media and of
using new social media. Messages heard throughout the conference ranged from cold, practical
self-interest to resonant ethical expostulation:
If these youngsters never enter the work force, wholl pay for our Social Security and
Medicare?

An investment that helps homeless kids now will save more than 20 times the cost to society
when theyre adults in the homeless or corrections systems.

The number of homeless young people is still low enough to make it possible for all to be
housed and helped toward productive adult autonomy: We can do this!

When we see kids left out in the cold, how can we feel pride in our community? What kind of
future are we building for ourselves and others?

These are our children.

Money in public and private budgets that could be earmarked for ending youth homelessness
may be in short supply. But there's no shortage of arguments for using every dollar we can to do it