6.2. SR 10-06-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Youth Homelessness References Defining Homeless The federal McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition: • Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason • Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations • Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters • Children and youth abandoned in hospitals • Children and youth awaiting foster care placement • Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc) • Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations Wilder Research (www.wilder.org/homelessness Through its triennial statewide study and ongoing shelter system use reports, Wilder Research provides the most current and comprehensive information and data on homelessness in Minnesota. Some findings on homeless youth from the 2012 study: • 95% of homeless youth 17 and younger attend school on a daily basis. 55% of homeless youth are female • 60% of youth sleep outside • 55% of homeless youth have been abused or neglected • 21%of homeless youth have been attacked or beaten while homeless • 52% of homeless youth have serious mental illness with depression being most common • 40% of youth identified as homeless were found outside the Twin Cities in greater MN From Hope 4 Youth Drop-in Center in Anoka: (www.hope4youthmn.org) • 400 different youths entering the doors in first 18 months (March 2013 to present) • 3,900 duplicated visits by youth in first 18 months • Average age of youth utilizing center is 19 • 2013 summer daily average was 15 youth, this summer, 2014, averaging 25 youth per day