Shifting gears and options for Valley’s homeless youth

My dad said I needed to learn to drive a stick shift (manual transmission) just in case of an emergency.

First, I learned to drive an old Willys Jeep and then motorcycles, with English sports cars to follow. Today, I have a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a Nissan Z with a six-speed manual transmission. Also, I have a GMC pickup with an automatic, but with loads of four-wheel drive options and cruise control with a tow/haul package.

If only our homeless youth had as many options regarding emergency housing. Currently, the options in the Mat-Su for homeless youth could be defined as “limited and with dire consequences.” Their options are couch surfing, moving to a different homeless camp, living in a tent or a car and the most dehumanizing, trading sex for a bed.

I professionally know three youth, all younger than 18 — two males and one female — who had very different experiences with housing issues. Local police picked up both males within a week of not having shelter. The female lasted more than a month living with an adult before getting picked up by local police. And that only happened because an alert relative saw her with that adult at a gas station and called police.

This past week at MY House, homeless youth have been coming into the new Gathering Place asking for tarps to cover their tents due to all the rain. Now, the next question will be how do they shift gears for winter? That shift into winter lasts for a long time in Alaska! And, what other options are there for our homeless youth? We have no safe harbor for our homeless youth in the Valley. They could take an hour ride into Anchorage to Covenant House. We know that 20 percent to 25 percent of the homeless youth at Covenant House come in from the Mat-Su. But they are our kids! I believe we are re-victimizing them by having to go to Anchorage. Shouldn’t we take care of our own kids? And what if they want to continue school at their home school? That would incur an early bus ride out to the Valley and another ride back into Anchorage at the end of the day. That is unrealistic and, in my opinion, unacceptable.

Most homeless youth do not leave home because they do not want to follow the rules. Last year, the Mat-Su Borough School District identified almost 40 percent of 800 homeless youth as “unaccompanied” (no parent or legal guardian in their life). We know we have many families in crisis from mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuse issues.

The numbers are frightening: 50 percent of homeless females have been victims of sexual abuse; as many as 40 percent of homeless youth have already had contact with mental health providers; and substance abuse is as high as 80 percent. I believe the majority of the latter two issues are fallout from early trauma in their lives. For many, the only options are the streets, which they believe are safer than their homes. But prostitution and sex trafficking are real and have dire consequences to those living on the streets.

The Mat-Su school district estimates the number of homeless youth will increase to about 1,000 this year — again, with a possible 400 being unaccompanied. Those are the ones who have self-identified. How many more homeless youth are out there who dropped out of school? How many are homeless, even if they have graduated, but cannot find work to afford housing?

MY House is shifting gears at the Gathering Place. We are opting to have our next first Thursday of the month meeting at 4 p.m. rather than 10 a.m. We are hoping by alternating monthly meeting times, more community members can join the good fight. That good fight is providing basic needs, seeking housing solutions and finding people who care for our homeless youth. Our mission is to provide a helping hand up toward self-sufficient, healthy and contributing youth in the Mat-Su.

Our homeless youth need a way off the streets, out of tents, cars and most importantly, not having to sell their bodies for a bed. As a community, can’t we offer better than those limited and dire consequences for our homeless youth in our Valley?

All are welcome to attend our Oct. 3 meeting at 4 p.m. at 500 N. Willow St., Wasilla, at the Gathering Place.

For more information, visit myhousematsu.org or call 373-4357.

Michael P. Carson is the vice president of MY House.