World

Shelters Serving More Teens from Foreclosure-Hit Families

by cassy82 | January 4, 2010 at 11:14 am

115 views | 14 Recommendations | 1 comment

Shelters in Minneapolis and in other cities are being forced to turn down requests for help from homeless youth because of sharp increases in their numbers. Every night, about 1,500 homeless youth in the Twin Cities are looking for a bed to sleep on to pass the night.

Shelters in Minneapolis, Minnesota and in other cities across the country are seeing sharp increases in young people aged 16 to 21 approaching homeless shelters for help.

According to analysts, the number of homeless young people is rising largely because of job losses, home foreclosures, family problems and other forms of abuses. Barbara Duffield, policy head for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, explained that when families suffer extreme difficulties and cannot afford to feed and house all their children, the older children are forced to fend for themselves.

In the Twin Cities, social service workers estimate that each night, around 1,500 young people are looking for a bed to sleep on to pass the night, but there are only about 50 shelter beds available.

By Cassiano Travareli

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

everchanging

at 20:03 on January 4th, 2010

Now is this really America or is it some place else all together, This is a shame! what about food and some means to survive out on the streets. Everyone needs to realize these individuals are the future of the country, while there may not be jobs out there - there should be a better support system in place. Here there are youth on the streets also, but for those who choose to, there is help and support (mostly nonprofit) here and we are lucky the weather is better then freezing!

This generation will not only fight to survive and if they need and will, do what they must to do so! In my opinion we will and are creation individuals (youth) that will not go to war on foreign soil but there own homeland!