100 days to house 100 young people
Los Angeles Homeless Services officials have a goal: Place 100 homeless young people in safe and stable housing within 100 days.
Announced Tuesday, the effort is part of an initiative by A Way Home America, a national movement to combat homelessness among young people. Los Angeles was selected to participate in the program, along with Cleveland and Austin, Texas.
The cities will begin the challenge Sept. 7 and will receive support from Rapid Results Institute, a nonprofit geared toward solving societal problems, in order to accomplish the goal by mid-December.
“The limited time frame provides the urgency needed to identify, innovate and fuel effective approaches for communities,” A Way Home America said in a statement.
Megan Gibbard, director of the organization, said that 19 communities expressed interest in the 100-day initiative, and three cities were selected based on their demonstration of innovation and preparation.
Each will develop its own plan for approaching the goal, Gibbard said.
“The [local] solutions are going to come from the L.A. community,” she said.
Gibbard said unsafe conditions at home are the main reasons for homelessness among young people, whereas job loss and illness are the leading causes of adult homelessness.
“Young people are still learning how to be adults and live independently,” she said. “The strategies for solving homelessness for that group are different, and that’s what we focus on.”
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority estimates that there are 3,447 homeless people ages 18 to 24 in the Los Angeles County area, excluding Long Beach, Glendale and Pasadena, which the authority does not cover.
Tom Waldman, director of communication for the authority, said the organization already was working to find homes for young men and women every day.
“This is a specific period of time that we’ve given ourselves for this challenge,” Waldman said. “But the task of finding safe and stable housing for youth is ongoing.”