MY House has housing

Housing is the foundation that allows a person or family to become part of the mainstream of life. It provides stability, especially for children and youth to have a sense of belonging.

Stable housing also offers the chance for youth to mature into healthy, independent and productive members of a community. It ensures an environment for the person or family to enhance their potential and success into many other areas of life. In short, housing is a game changer.

MY House realizes that homeless youth need housing to be able to have a chance to get off the streets, out of camps, away from couch-surfing or, most horrifically, escape from sex trafficking. Again, housing is a game changer.

Without housing, emergency services costs are incurred, and those costs increase with law enforcement involvement. The cost to our community and state increases with emergency room visits, hospital stays, detox and incarceration due to homelessness. Research proves this, over and over. Housing is a trifecta, including a solution for homelessness, cost savings and a profound, positive effect on the human psyche.

There are now two MY House transitional houses available for males and females, 18 to 24. We are in the process of adding a third house for females. These houses are leased through a Basic Housing Assistance Program grant. However, a youth has to be employed and pay a subsidized rent of $400 a month for a single room, or $200 for a shared room.

We will allow a youth to move into a house without employment, but they must be seeking and find employment within 30 days. We are a hand up, not a handout.

Finally, these houses are alcohol- and drug-free, with random testing.

By paying rent, residents have “skin in the game,” and they will establish a rental history. That history is imperative to secure housing after leaving our program. With rentals being in short supply, landlords can require a potential renter to have that history. During their stay in our houses, youth have the opportunity to have stable employment, develop job skills for higher paying possibilities and additional training opportunities. Employment and housing are a win-win for youth.

These are not youths who “just didn’t want to follow the rules.” All of our housing clients have been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. This includes both females and males.

That information was revealed through case-management interviews and a self-reporting survey. These youth have had traumatic experiences that were wrong and not deserved. They have medicated their trauma with alcohol, drugs, sex or whatever it took to forget. Simply put, housing can change a very painful past to a promising future.

With housing, they have a chance to reclaim their lives. They have the chance to be who they were meant to be. Because with a roof over their heads and walls around them, they have an important foundation on which to build their future.

Along with this housing phase of our mission, MY House provides wrap-around services and support for younger youth, 14-18. We can provide “drop-in” services for these homeless youth as minors. Those services would be case management, reporting to Office of Child Services, if necessary, food, clothing, showers and laundry, but not housing.

A minor cannot sign for themselves for either work or rent. Housing for a minor would require a Residential Child Care Facility license for a shelter. A complete range of services or continuum of care for young people aged 14-24 is our mission at MY House.

Join the good fight to change lives. They are our kids. They need safe harbor to get beyond homelessness and get on with living.

Retired educator Michael P. Carson, is vice president of MY House.