The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
100Day Challenge addresses youth homelessness
400 young people were rehoused just over 3 months
MIDDLETOWN — In June, Connecticut issued a 100Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness that brought together stakeholders from across the state in a concerted effort to rehouse homeless youth.
During its implementation, almost 400 youth statewide were returned to housing; in the Middlesex County, Meriden and Wallingford area, 60 youth received assistance, according to a press release.
Locally, the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness worked with service providers, state agencies, and young adults with lived experience of homelessness, to better understand the problem, to innovate new solutions, and to create efficiencies in youth outreach and rehousing, the release said.
“As of the January of this year, there were more than 5,000 Connecticut youth affected by homelessness,” Caroline Perez, manager of Middlesex Services, Columbus House, said in a prepared statement.
“While the state has been very successful in recent years in housing homeless adults, we recognize that reaching and helping homeless youth requires an entirely different approach,” she said in the release.
This firstever initiative in the state brought together people who had not worked together before, including nonprofits, child welfare, justice, and education, the challenge fostered collaboration, innovation and experimentation.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in just 100days,” Perez said in the statement. “I look forward to taking the lessons learned and incorporating them into the daytoday operations of the homeless response system.”
In the Middlesex County/ Meriden/Wallingford area accomplishments include:
⏩ Thirteen youth ended their episode of homelessness and now have a permanent home
⏩ Outreach efforts assisted 47 youth in the 100day period
⏩ A broad base of community supporters meet monthly to review progress and improve the homelessness response system for youth and young adults
The 100Day Challenge was supported by funding from the federal Housing and Urban Development departing, and an outpouring of support from local, funders including the Middlesex United Way, the Liberty Bank Foundation and the ION Bank Foundation.
Ongoing efforts include connecting with the McKinneyVento liaison in every school district. These liaisons are mandated by HUD to coordinate services and transportation for homeless youth to ensure students who are homeless have all the opportunities needed to succeed in their home school district, even if they struggle to find a stable home, according to the release.
Tina Gayle, Youth Navigator, Women & Families Center, is out on the streets every day to connect with youth who are homeless. She sees firsthand how the changes affect young people, the release said.
“We know what works, and now have the resources to make a difference,” she said. “There is a transformation that happens when youth have a stable place to live. It’s an honor to witness this.”
Homeless youth seeking assistance may call 211, the state’s Coordinated Access Network, which connects any resident with housing, food, benefits and more.
For information, visit growstrongct.org or 211.org.
“We know what works, and now have the resources to make a difference.” Tina Gayle