SAN DIEGO — A Wallethub report shows California is among the states with the highest percentage of homeless youth.
“People that are homeless oftentimes are the kids you see in your schools with your kids with a backpack and at the end of the day your kid comes home and that kid has no place to go,” San Diego Youth Services Chief Executive Officer Walter Philips said.
Philips works with ‘San Diego Youth Services,’ an organization dedicated to helping children and young adults experiencing homelessness get the support they need.
“In the last point in time count, over 1,800 youth are homeless in San Diego at any given time so there's just not enough beds in San Diego for youth and we talk about youth up to age 24,” Philip said.
The organization houses youth under the age of 18 in its 17-bed shelter which is almost always at capacity.
“I think the youth that we see that are often on the streets ..these are youth that are often marginalized, they’re disconnected from school… they're disconnected from family members. They are disconnected from other systems that can support them,” Philip said.
Walter explains that one of the ways to help solve homelessness among youth is by working together in offering wrap-around services like mental health, employment and life skills.
“We can end youth homelessness and I think it's something that gives us an opportunity to really impact young people's lives in the trajectory they may be in,” Philip said.
For more information on San Diego Youth Services visit sdyouthservices.org
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