July 19, 2011 Bill Hearing
Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Testimony in Support of House Bill #1862, “An Act Providing Housing and Support Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth”
Submitted by Ayala Livny, Program Manager, Youth on Fire (a program of AIDS Action Committee)
Good Morning. My name is Ayala Livny. I am the Program Manager of Youth on Fire, a drop-in center for homeless youth ages 14 – 24 and a prevention program of the AIDS Action Committee. In the ten years since the center started, Youth on Fire has served over 3500 homeless and street involved youth. I am here today to urge the Committee’s support for House Bill #1862 “An Act Providing Housing and Support Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth”.
On behalf of Youth on Fire and the young people we serve, I want thank Representative O’Day and Chairwoman Khan for sponsoring this important piece of legislation. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Senators Clark, Flannigan and Eldridge for their efforts to include pieces of this bill in the Senate budget.
Every night in the Commonwealth, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of young adults who wonder where they will sleep. They wonder if they will be safe, if someone will try to take advantage of them. They worry about where their next meal will come from, where they will be able to take a shower, how they will ever be able to get a job. They worry about who they can trust. They find themselves in parks, under bridges, in shelters, “couch surfing”, trying to blend in at coffee shops and libraries or walking around all night. They end up making short-term decisions that prioritize their immediate survival over long-term goals. They say “This is not how a twenty-year old is supposed to live” and they are correct. It is not how a young adult should live.
People often ask “why are young adults homeless?”. The answers are both complicated and simple. To highlight the complications: Some have aged out of state care, some have families who can no longer support them, some have been abused or neglected, and some have been kicked out for their sexual orientation. There are trauma histories and mental health issues and substance use patterns. There is rejection and rebellion and hubris and fear. But to unwind all that for a moment: simply put, young adults are homeless because home either doesn’t exist, isn’t safe, or isn’t supportive.
And when they are homeless, they are especially vulnerable. They are seen as “easy targets” and “fresh meat” in the adult shelters. They are easily exploited by “more seasoned” homeless adults, or pimps, or drug dealers, or people with intentions that are not altruistic. They are recruited into gangs and street families. One of our members named Synthia told me once that “As long as there are abusive families, there will always be homeless youth. Your job [as a provider] is to make sure that we are on the streets for as little time as possible, because the longer we are out there, the more likely bad stuff is to happen. And the harder it is to get off the streets.”
In the last fiscal year, Youth on Fire served 850 homeless young adults. This is a 340% increase in utilization in the last four years. We are seeing more and more youth with less and less support and resources. The program itself has been asked to provide more service and supports with less resources and funding.
Some other facts about the young people Youth on Fire serves:
o 30% of the youth we see are GLBTQ identified – 44% of GLBTQ-identified youth are Youth of Color
o 58% of the youth we see are homeless and 35% “precariously housed” (could lose their housing / get kicked out at any time)
o 42% have a diagnosed mental health condition
o 25% have a history of DCF involvement (foster care, group homes etc)
o 23% have attempted suicide
o 20% have history of incarceration
o 17% report injection drug use
We work with these young adults to create safe, supportive, caring relationships that support them where ever they are at in their change process. We assess their current risks, and focus on their resilience, survival, street smarts and strengths. We understand the impact of trauma and deliver services that are sensitive to the experiences of homeless youth. We let people move at their own pace. We know that everyone we meet is a survivor.
As a program, we talk about the simultaneous burdens and blessings of doing this work – the honor of being invited into a young person’s life, the privilege of being part of people’s transformations and the tragedies that we bear witness to as part of being a part of their worlds. Not everyone makes it, and not everyone makes it well. However, we have been honored to see many of our members truly transform their lives and their situations. Their resilience and perseverance is testimony itself to the power of what can happen when the right supports are in place.
If passed, House Bill 1862 would provide funding to improve housing options and support services for “unaccompanied homeless youth”. We cannot let more time go by without the supports and resources needed. Because as Synthia said, “the longer we are out there, the more likely bad stuff is to happen. And the harder it is to get off the streets.”
Homeless youth need the support of the Commonwealth. I thank the Committee in advance for your considerations of these issues and hope for your support to keep this vital issue in the front of the state legislature.
Sincerely,
Ayala Livny, M.Ed
Program Manager
Youth on Fire (a prevention program of the AIDS Action Committee)
Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Testimony in Support of House Bill #1862, “An Act Providing Housing and Support Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth”
Submitted by Ayala Livny, Program Manager, Youth on Fire (a program of AIDS Action Committee)
Good Morning. My name is Ayala Livny. I am the Program Manager of Youth on Fire, a drop-in center for homeless youth ages 14 – 24 and a prevention program of the AIDS Action Committee. In the ten years since the center started, Youth on Fire has served over 3500 homeless and street involved youth. I am here today to urge the Committee’s support for House Bill #1862 “An Act Providing Housing and Support Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth”.
On behalf of Youth on Fire and the young people we serve, I want thank Representative O’Day and Chairwoman Khan for sponsoring this important piece of legislation. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Senators Clark, Flannigan and Eldridge for their efforts to include pieces of this bill in the Senate budget.
Every night in the Commonwealth, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of young adults who wonder where they will sleep. They wonder if they will be safe, if someone will try to take advantage of them. They worry about where their next meal will come from, where they will be able to take a shower, how they will ever be able to get a job. They worry about who they can trust. They find themselves in parks, under bridges, in shelters, “couch surfing”, trying to blend in at coffee shops and libraries or walking around all night. They end up making short-term decisions that prioritize their immediate survival over long-term goals. They say “This is not how a twenty-year old is supposed to live” and they are correct. It is not how a young adult should live.
People often ask “why are young adults homeless?”. The answers are both complicated and simple. To highlight the complications: Some have aged out of state care, some have families who can no longer support them, some have been abused or neglected, and some have been kicked out for their sexual orientation. There are trauma histories and mental health issues and substance use patterns. There is rejection and rebellion and hubris and fear. But to unwind all that for a moment: simply put, young adults are homeless because home either doesn’t exist, isn’t safe, or isn’t supportive.
And when they are homeless, they are especially vulnerable. They are seen as “easy targets” and “fresh meat” in the adult shelters. They are easily exploited by “more seasoned” homeless adults, or pimps, or drug dealers, or people with intentions that are not altruistic. They are recruited into gangs and street families. One of our members named Synthia told me once that “As long as there are abusive families, there will always be homeless youth. Your job [as a provider] is to make sure that we are on the streets for as little time as possible, because the longer we are out there, the more likely bad stuff is to happen. And the harder it is to get off the streets.”
In the last fiscal year, Youth on Fire served 850 homeless young adults. This is a 340% increase in utilization in the last four years. We are seeing more and more youth with less and less support and resources. The program itself has been asked to provide more service and supports with less resources and funding.
Some other facts about the young people Youth on Fire serves:
o 30% of the youth we see are GLBTQ identified – 44% of GLBTQ-identified youth are Youth of Color
o 58% of the youth we see are homeless and 35% “precariously housed” (could lose their housing / get kicked out at any time)
o 42% have a diagnosed mental health condition
o 25% have a history of DCF involvement (foster care, group homes etc)
o 23% have attempted suicide
o 20% have history of incarceration
o 17% report injection drug use
We work with these young adults to create safe, supportive, caring relationships that support them where ever they are at in their change process. We assess their current risks, and focus on their resilience, survival, street smarts and strengths. We understand the impact of trauma and deliver services that are sensitive to the experiences of homeless youth. We let people move at their own pace. We know that everyone we meet is a survivor.
As a program, we talk about the simultaneous burdens and blessings of doing this work – the honor of being invited into a young person’s life, the privilege of being part of people’s transformations and the tragedies that we bear witness to as part of being a part of their worlds. Not everyone makes it, and not everyone makes it well. However, we have been honored to see many of our members truly transform their lives and their situations. Their resilience and perseverance is testimony itself to the power of what can happen when the right supports are in place.
If passed, House Bill 1862 would provide funding to improve housing options and support services for “unaccompanied homeless youth”. We cannot let more time go by without the supports and resources needed. Because as Synthia said, “the longer we are out there, the more likely bad stuff is to happen. And the harder it is to get off the streets.”
Homeless youth need the support of the Commonwealth. I thank the Committee in advance for your considerations of these issues and hope for your support to keep this vital issue in the front of the state legislature.
Sincerely,
Ayala Livny, M.Ed
Program Manager
Youth on Fire (a prevention program of the AIDS Action Committee)
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