A young person walks into a shelter for the first time carrying everything they own in a backpack, and the first thing that happens is a form. Name, date of birth, emergency contact, reason for seeking services. Somewhere around question twelve, they are asked to explain, out loud, to a stranger, why they do not … Read more
A teenager can be homeless and still show up to school with clean clothes, a full backpack, and a smile that gives nothing away. She might be sleeping on a friend’s couch this week and a cousin’s floor the next. He might be spending nights in a car parked outside a 24-hour gym so he … Read more
There is a date on the calendar that thousands of young people dread every year. It is not a deadline for a test or a bill coming due. It is a birthday. The day they turn 18, the foster care system considers its job done. The placements end. The caseworkers close the files. And just … Read more
We Keep Funding the Building and Ignoring What Happens Inside It When people talk about youth homelessness, the conversation almost always begins and ends with housing. Shelter beds, transitional units, affordable apartments, zoning laws, and rental costs all dominate the discussion. Those things matter deeply, and the shortage of stable housing for young people is … Read more
