Resolution No. 4834 Exhibit - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

of March 2004. The count showed 474 single adults needing emergency shelter on that date. With a current inventory of 346 beds, it is estimated that on any given night, 128 more beds for singles are actually needed. Transitional housing alternatives are also needed for this group of homeless individuals. According to the gaps analysis, it is estimated that approximately 154 homeless singles are in transitional housing. With a current inventory of 124 units, at least 30 additional units are needed. It is particularly difficult for Latinos in this population to obtain shelter, employment, and services because of language and cultural barriers. Only 15 beds of culturally and linguistically appropriate shelter are available for single Latino males. Homeless Youth Homeless and at-risk youth who are living on the streets are at-risk of exploitation, typically fear authorities, are physically and emotionally needy, and often abuse substances to escape the daily pain of survival. At-risk, homeless, and runaway youth are particularly vulnerable to chronic physical and mental health problems, including bronchitis, pneumonia, foot and leg ailments, impetigo, sexually-transmitted diseases, lice, scabies, depression, and other mental health conditions. In 2001, two local service providers identified 2,900 runaway, homeless, or at-risk youth under the age of 18 living in Lane County. Some of these youth have homes but are unsupervised on the street. Others do not have homes and are living on their own as part of the homeless street population. The reasons youth fall into these circumstances vary greatly; however, some information and patterns have emerged that give us some indication that can lead to homelessness if there is no intervention. The sheltered youth population is grouped into the following categories: Time-out Youth (39.0%). Youth residing at home with parents or surrogates and are at-risk of being asked to leave home. Families usually are in a crisis at the time of intervention and emergency shelter is needed for respite to avoid escalated tension or violence in the home. Of these youth served, approximately 41.0% of the youth have diagnosed mental illness; 30.0% report violence in the home; 18.0% are experiencing trauma and neglect from parents; and 11.0% are primarily affected by their own drug and alcohol abuse. · Homeless and Locked Out Youth (38.0%). Youth who have no home to return to or their parents refuse or are unable to care for them. Runaway Youth (23.0%). Youth who have left home without permission. Parents are willing to have the youth home and are making attempts to coax them into returning. Nearly 70.0% of these youth return home and achieve some stability; however, some youth return home for short periods of time and then leave again, staying with peers and young adults who house them for short periods of time. Many return to social service agencies for shelter and further services. At the time of admission to local service providers, the following issues were reported regarding youth: 60