MORGANTOWN — North-central West Virginia is participating in a national movement to target and end homelessness among youth and young adults.
The goal — to house 35 homeless and at-risk youth and young adults, ages 18-24, in Monongalia, Marion and Harrison counties — of whom 75% are or have been involved with Child Welfare and/or Juvenile Justice and/or are affected by substance use — in just 75 days.
The Rapid Results Institute (RRI), and HomeBase, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD), announced in January that North Central West Virginia was invited to participate in a 100-Day Challenge.
The NCWV team is comprised of representatives from the WV Coalition to End Homelessness, Bartlett Housing Solutions, Bureau of Juvenile Services, PSIMED, Genesis Youth Center, WVU Medicine, Monongalia County Schools, United Way of Harrison County and Foster Care.
The ability to forge lasting and effective partnerships is among the benefits of participation, according to Lauren Frederick, policy development officer for the WV Coalition to End Homelessness.
“We have been operating in organizational silos in the homelessness service system, and in the other systems that serve young people, including education, health, justice, and child protection/ child welfare/ foster care for far too long,” she said. “We are working to make progress on breaking down the silos and sharing housing and other resources equitably.”
Due to COVID-19 the 100-day Challenge was delayed a few weeks, causing the NCWV team to adjust its goals to meet a condensed timeline.
Along with getting 35 youth and young adults into housing, the team has set subgoals, including:
— Increasing housing opportunities for youth and young adults
— Expanding outreach and housing referral efforts
— Strengthening access to services to increase housing stability
— Broadening understanding of needs among community partners, youth and young adults and the general public
— Increasing the voice of youth and young adults
In addition to working locally, each team is part of a larger group of communities from across the country. In February, the NCWV team joined representatives from Central Alabama, Charleston, SC., Jacksonville, Fl. and Monroe County, Fl. at a workshop to set goals and subgoals.
So far, a total of 35 communities have been able to house 3,465 youth and young adults dating back to the first 100-Day Challenge in August 2016.
Frederick said she has no doubt the group will be able to hit its target.
“I am confident that we will not only meet our goal, but create impactful change and develop or revitalize partnerships across systems to sustain and expand this work to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness in West Virginia,” Frederick said.
