Combatting Homelessness and Poverty
Two fronts in the Campaign to Save Young People in our Communities
Homelessness is a major issue for youth in the District of Columbia and it’s a major front in the effort to provide adequate services to young people in DC. Aging out of foster care, surviving family disruption and launching into a life on their own presents some serious challenges, not the least of which is finding stable housing to avoid the threat of homelessness.
Data from studies conducted in 2009 and 2017 by District of Columbia Government and by the District of Columbia Alliance for Youth Advocates illustrates the unique issue of homelessness among youth aged 18-24 and the high cost of not providing services for them.
More than 90% of youth aged 18-24, experiencing homelessness in the District, are African American. Yet, African Americans, aged 18-24 represent less than half of the population of young people in the District. Associated with homelessness are high unemployment rates, low educational achievement, a history in foster care, involvement in the child welfare system and in the adult and juvenile justice systems.
The cost to our communities of not providing services to our youth is staggering, ranging from $470K to $3M per person. Interestingly enough, the data and associated costs, from as early as 2009 to now, have not changed significantly. This all points to the need to address the potential for homelessness among our youth preemptively—on a community level and before the problem transforms a life from hopeful to hopeless.
Organizations like The Mary Elizabeth House Inc. are invaluable in their capacity to provide early intervention to youth experiencing difficulties that could result in homelessness and the host of resulting issues, that lead to adults who are unprepared to function successfully in our communities. Their individual programs and partnerships with local ministries, sororities, volunteer organizations and businesses, help to reduce the cost of providing services and increase the success rates among those who are our most valuable assets.
The Mary Elizabeth House mission impacts youth homelessness in the District, by supplying housing and services to young, single mothers and their children—giving them opportunities for education, training and skills development and providing a safe, stimulating, early learning environment for infants and toddlers. This has the net effect of eliminating poverty two generations at a time. Our two-pronged approach is a lot less costly to the community and the city than having to service two generations of adults, especially when considering the cost of engagement with the criminal justice and social welfare systems.
Community support of The Mary Elizabeth House and its partners really can make giant leaps toward eliminating homelessness and poverty among District youth possible — making the vision of generations of responsible, contributing citizens a reality.
Visit The Mary Elizabeth House and other organizations engaged in this mission and lend your support, through donations and volunteerism, today.