This year, due to the goveror's budget cuts, runaway and homeless youth (RHY) services in Hennepin County (specifically Minneapolis, which is where those services are located) took a mighty mighty blow. Project OffStreets, which is YouthLink's largest and most well known program, took a heavy hit to the tune of a couple hundred thousand dollars resulting in a dramatic reduction in staff. At least one runaway and homeless youth service in Minneapolis shut down completely (although I hear that they are going to be reopening in January), and all the other existing RHY programs in the city have had to reduce their staff and/or operations significantly. Due to the overwhelming support of Commissioner Dorfman (she is a superstar champion when it comes to advocating for services to homeless young people), some of the money that was cut from RHY services will be restored.
Now, of course, there have been dramatic reductions forced on program and services through the county because of the state and the economic times. But unforunately there hasn't been any reduction in the need for these services. Last night YouthLink had its annual holiday party for youth that access Project OffStreets. I worked at the event and watched as 150 homeless, at-risk, and precariously housed young people walked through the agency door, many of them with children in tow. And I was again struck by the crisis of housing, family, and service provision we have in this city. I'm fairly young (26), and YouthLink serves youth ages 13-20, so the faces walking through our doors aren't that much younger than I am. And that is truly terrifying. Those faces, in particular, are not the faces of the homeless that we see. Because they are young people, they are largely invisible.
Somehow something has to give. Hearing that the Sheriff's office got a nice little slush fund is making my blood boil. Particularly because I know just how far $1 million can go feeding, housing, educating, and providing medical services for the young people for whom I work.
-Brandon Lacy Campos -Powderhorn Park (YouthLink Development Associate)
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