When United Way 211 got a call from a 16-year-old mother experiencing homelessness, the agency did not know where to place her and her children.
Rebekah’s Haven takes women over the age of 18 with up to three children up to age 11, but the girl seeking help was not yet 18. Safety Net houses youth from 12 to 17, but the girl’s children were not 12.
About this series Elena Unger, a rising senior at Yale University who is interning at The Blade this summer, explores issues of homelessness affecting Lucas County families.
Sunday, June 30: How homelessness is splitting up families Thursday, July 4: The youth housing crisis and which teens are especially vulnerable
Sunday, July 7: How local groups are bolstering their responses to youth homelessness
Teen parents are one of the unique populations that don’t fit into the mosaic of homelessness services Toledo provides.
The youths that seek help for housing crises embody a spectrum of circumstances, explained Emily Matthews, the 211 Toledo program manager. Youth homelessness not only affects children that are a part of their family unit; it affects runaways, teen parents, and young adults transitioning out of foster care or the juvenile justice system.
The 211 hot line serves as a point of entry for local family shelters. Anyone in Lucas County that is at risk of or experiencing homelessness can receive information about drop-in shelters, including children. Oftentimes, however, current systems aren’t prepared or able to successfully serve struggling youth, or youth are unwilling to reach out for help, Ms. Matthews said.
Linda Nordahl, the chief integration officer at the Zepf Center, which oversees Safety Net — the only youth shelter within a 120-mile radius, explained a previous situation where a 15-year-old came to stay at Safety Net. She was nine months pregnant, and once she gave birth, she had to decide between being homeless with her newborn or staying at Safety Net but separating from her child.
She left Safety Net after giving birth, and staff members were unable to stay in touch with her, despite 30, 60, and 90-day check-ins.
Local organizations addressing homelessness struggle to support youth parents, Ms. Nordahl said. Local organizations also have trouble serving 16 and 17-year-olds.
If children are 16 or 17 and emancipated, they still aren’t legally able to sign a lease in Ohio. While 211 can send over rental listings, the children cannot legally obtain housing until they are 18, Ms. Matthews said.
Amanda Wilson, the youth housing initiative director for COHHIO, reports having “difficulty” getting 17-year-olds to seek services as well. When children are close to legal adulthood, she said, they often try to avoid involvement in the child welfare system. Perhaps they will be legally able to rent an apartment within months, and until then, they’d rather couch surf or sleep in a car then deal with the logistics of being placed in foster care or a shelter.
“We have a lot of youth-specific resources and young adult-specific resources, but we don't have youths that call us,” Ms. Matthews said.
Out of 80,000 calls that United Way 211 of Greater Toledo received in 2023, only 70 were from individuals under 18.
Resources United Way 211 United Way 211 is a free and anonymous information and referral service available to anyone in Lucas, Ottawa, or Wood County with a health or human service need. Dial 211 at any time to connect with community advisers for food, housing, utility assistance, employment services, and more.
Lucas County Children Services Report child abuse or neglect: (419) 213-CARE (2273). Child safety is Lucas County Children Services’ top priority. Experienced screeners will answer calls about suspected child abuse or neglect 24/7.
Safety Net youth shelter Safety Net is the only shelter serving runaway homeless youth in northwest Ohio. Call or text any time for help, 419-206-0926.
Systems must be developed to better serve emancipated teens, those on the cusp of adulthood, and teen parents experiencing homelessness, Ms. Matthews said. Further, organizations must be prepared to address the overrepresentation of Black and LGBTQ+ youth, Ms. Wilson said.
Ms. Nordahl has noticed a disproportionate number of Black children seeking help from Safety Net. She also reported an increase year-to-year in the LGBTQ+ population at Safety Net.
“Kids will come in, tell us that, basically, when they reveal to their family or guardian that they are LGBTQ, they are asked to leave the home,” Ms. Nordahl said. “And so, they come here, and sometimes they come here with whatever they happen to be wearing at the time and weren't allowed to go pack a bag.”
Ms. Nordahl also reports getting calls from teens aging out of foster care and having to turn them away.
Toledo has a particularly high rate of children in the foster care system, Ms. Matthews said, and occasionally parents will evict their child from residence once they turn 18.
“They'll call and say, ‘My birthday is Monday, and I was told I have to leave. Can I come [to Safety Net]?’ And we have to say no,” Ms. Nordahl said. “And it's horrible. It's heartbreaking. That 18-year-old doesn't belong at Cherry Street or St. Paul's.”
While Safety Net cannot house 18 to 21-year-olds, it does have a drop-in center as part of Safety Net’s Street Outreach Program where they can access computers to apply for jobs or search for potential housing. The “transitional age group” can also access a community kitchen, laundry, and a shower as needed, Ms. Nordahl said.
“These are kids that might not have the life skills — I mean I wasn’t taught in high school how to sign a lease or read a lease,” Ms. Matthews said.
One Street Outreach member said Safety Net’s drop-in center is one of the few places that makes her feel welcome. She considers it a “safe haven.”
To aid young adults experiencing homelessness, Lucas Metropolitan Housing is spearheading the Park Apartment Project , a low-income housing construction project meant for young adults 18-24. The building — which will have 45 one and two-bedroom apartments — will connect tenants with social workers and various services.
According to Ms. Nordahl, it can’t get here soon enough.
Most Popular
Comments / 0