As a short term resident, I lived at the Cyrus Centre in Chilliwack for three days. This shelter is community funded, through donations and fundraising, and provides beds for up to five residents at a time. However, this help does not cover the growing need for shelter beds. With better government funding, the Centre would be able to give at risk youth a short term option by adding additional beds to their facility.
Despite its fundraiser efforts and donations from the public, the Cyrus Centre has a limited amount of shelter beds. Although Chilliwack is known as being a family oriented community, youth homelessness is more than double the regional average (Bates, Sam). Youth ages 15 to 19 make up 44% of homeless people in Chilliwack (Bates, Sam). Nonetheless, Cyrus Centre turns away approximately 2 youth a night (Andrea). The shelter is regularly running at full capacity. Each time a shelter bed becomes available someone is waiting to fill it. In fact, the Cyrus Centre only has 5 shelter beds available for youth, one of which is by referral only. With such a limit of shelter beds, the Centre is unable to
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In February, staff had to turn away twenty-one youth because they lacked space to house them (Bates, Sam). Although adding beds to the shelter does not solve youth homelessness, it does serve as a short term plan. By advocating to the government for more funding, the Cyrus Centre would be able to use the extra funding to add more shelter beds. Not only would this provide a safe place for youth to stay, but it would expose them to all the resources the Cyrus Centre has to offer. These resources, range from employment assistance to referrals to numerous community supports. With these resources, homeless youth have a new chance at a successful future. Also, this leads to the youth finding permanent residence, thus, reducing the statistic rate of youth
“The National Center on Family Homelessness currently estimates that as many as fifty U. S. children (1.5 million) are homeless or “precariously housed” in temporary quarters such as motels and shelters” (Cohen, 2009). Today’s economic crisis is not helping this growing number of families that are being relocated as home foreclosures and loss of jobs add to the overwhelming number of homeless
A common misconception of homeless youth is that even if they do become homeless they are not homeless for long. The National Alliance to End
Today in Canada, a rise in youth homelessness is being observed across the country. Despite common assumptions, the issue of street youth is not isolated to Toronto or Montreal, but has become pervasive across the country. Although accurate statistics are impossible to come by, the disturbing reality is that both urban centers and rural communities nationwide, are struggling to provide their youth with adequate, affordable housing. Issues surrounding the supply and affordability of housing, combined with personal circumstances characterized by instability, are distancing youth’s access to housing. These causes and their overall consequences, must be faced before lasting solutions can be shaped by society. Housing Canada’s street youth will
Giffords, E., Alonso, C., & Bell, R. (2007). A Transitional Living Program for Homeless Adolescents: A Case Study. Child & Youth Care Forum, 36(4), 141-151. doi:10.1007/s10566-007-9036-0
After analyzing the entire Runaway and Homeless Youth Act as a whole, much can be said for and against the economic and political aspects. As to any given argument or subject pros and cons as well as strengths and weaknesses will be weighed out enormously. The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act does abide by guidelines and requirements. All parts of the Act provide all involved with a clear and present purpose. I also believe that these shelters or centers provide the troubled youth with a support system that they could be lacking. Most youth probably don’t realize how widespread homelessness is and it happened to be there only option in certain situations. The homeless youth will not have that feeling of being alone under life
Bradfords Helping Home is a Shelter that will help the families and youth of Starke Florida who are experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is a growing concern in our society today and not just in Starke. In The United States on any given night, there are approximately 643,067 people experiencing homelessness. In Bradford county there are approximately 6.9% of only the student population and not the adults of the community experiencing homelessness. This may not seem like a very large number but it is. These numbers should never be allowed to get this high. This is a growing concern in Starke as we are getting at least two to three new students who are considered homeless and put under the McKinney-Vento Act. “The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students” ( With my mother being the McKinny-Vinto liaison in Bradford county I have learned of how serious this problem is. I would like to be able to support these children, youth, and families in helping them get back up on their feet and to be able to have a place to go if they are experiencing homelessness.
Did you know that, “54% of homeless shelters are youth shelter”?(Emergency homeless shelters in the GTA)The majority of Toronto’s homeless community is youth based, so care for them is extremely important. Their future is on the line if they do not get the help that they need. Covenant House and Horizons for Youth (HFY) are two very popular youth shelters, but the things that are important when a youth is looking for a youth shelter are; what programs they offer, the location, and the choice between an abstinence based system or a harm reduction program. Covenant House offers the superior service when it comes to all of these things.
Homelessness is a problem in many communities across the United States. It is particularly sad when one sees women and children that are homeless. The Cornerstone Rescue Mission Women and Children Home in Rapid City, South Dakota addresses this need in this particular community. They serve pregnant women, single women, Veteran women, girls under the age of 18 with their mother, and boys under the age of 16 with their mother. A community assessment was completed on this population to identify strengths and their particular needs; interventions were then done based on these needs.
Aside from the main causes, the steady increase in homelessness is also due to the lack of effective and long-term solutions (Baum, 2007). Both the Canadian government and society have embraced an emergency sheltering model and social separation for the homeless rather than initiating a long-term plan with beneficial services to provide a dignified life to Canadians who are homeless (Muckle & Turnbull, 206).
The youngest generation today is the fastest growing population of homeless in America with modest estimates reporting 1.35 million children every year without a safe and permanent home. (Shepard. J, 2000) To this day, this social problem has undergone viral. The number of homeless people, including children and seniors has increased drastically. This article starts with a clear definition of homelessness and it leads to get a better understanding as a whole. Few of the problems causing homelessness are lack of education, shelter and public assistance. Everything as far as cost has gone higher making the costs impossible for homeless people to support themselves especially children. To address and control homelessness, the McKinney-Vento
33,000, this is the number of homeless that live on the streets in Canada and 8,000-11,000 of those people are youth in the age range of only 16-24 years of age. This number has increased and grown bigger by the days due to social and economic factors and coming up with a solution becomes more complicated. Many teens become homeless because of hardship in their life or addiction and mental/psychical disabilities, which affects the integrity of that person. This essay will explain the factors of how youth end up on the streets and the harmful effects it can cause and how Canada reacts and helps this problem. The world is discovering how the population of youth on the streets is growing and their trying make many
Therefore, I recommend future students, if they have the opportunity, to stay longer with the organization to witness the changes in these individuals’ lives. To fully understand the consequences that homelessness creates for families, children, and individuals, time has to be invested. Further, these services are here to help homeless individuals and families develop long-term solutions with lasting success.
Shelter’s approach to anti-social behaviour in young people if to primarly identify the needs of the individual and solve the root of the problem, rather than it resulting in a scenario where young people are evicted and moved into a different accommodation only to reoffend (Cullen, 2006). By helping young people re-engage with their community, they hope to tackle anti-social behaviour and and social exclusion for the long term.
Follow-up and after care services will be formulated on a case by case basis while keeping the client’s self-determination and safety in mind. The Tarrant County Homeless Youth Program (TCHYP) will be providing three months of aftercare and wrap-around services while the clients acclimate to their new living arrangements. Case managers will be conducting one home visit or phone interview per month to ensure that the clients are staying on track and to offer additional service the clients may need. Transportation will also be provided and the participating clients who resided at the (TCHYP) will be able to return back and be part of any classes/curriculum, such as, computer labs, life skills, spiritual enrichment, and any other program available
As previously discussed, homelessness among youth in the Houston / Harris County area is a growing population with far reaching consequences for this group. They can be identified as a cultural group as they identify with others who have shared experiences and commonalities. Some of the serious struggles, identified in part I, homeless youth face are the increased probability of becoming victimized on the streets, higher risk of being infected with a STD or HIV, becoming pregnant, entering the criminal justice system, not having access to medical treatment, employment, housing, or education and job training. Without resiliency, the bleak outlook on life has the power to destroy their self-efficacy leaving them with low self-esteem.