In 2021, a teen girl living in the Port Clinton area walked nearly 40 miles to Safety Net, the only youth shelter in a 120-mile radius.
She had been living on the streets and sleeping in abandoned buildings when she saw a news story about Safety Net, said Linda Nordahl, the chief integration officer at Zepf Center who oversees Safety Net. The girl walked all the way to Toledo to seek safety.
This teen’s story is a testament to the critical state of youth homelessness in Ohio.
In an effort to improve their responses to youth homelessness, the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio and the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board applied for a federal grant and received $2 million in June.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the funds with the hope of creating targeted support systems for youth experiencing housing crises.
The end of financial assistance programs and the eviction moratorium that existed during the pandemic has caused local families to hit a “COVID cliff,” said Emily Matthews, program manager for 211 Toledo — which serves as a point of entry for local family shelters.
“In the last year or two we have seen rising rates of first-time homelessness, and it isn’t single people,” Ms. Matthews said. “It’s families. What we’re seeing and hearing more is a lot of TPS students and a lot of Toledo School for the Arts students that are experiencing homelessness bouncing around between family and friend’s couches and also living out of the shelters, living out of the car with parents while they wait to get into the shelter.”
Rising housing and rental prices are also contributing to the uptick in first time homelessness. Ms. Matthews reports seeing a lot of families being priced out of their homes; their rent has risen but their income hasn’t.
According to Julie Embree, the continuum of care system operations manager for the county homelessness board, first-time homelessness across the nation has gone up 15 percent since the pandemic.
“We're at a critical point where we really need to open our eyes and start working and doing a more intentional job serving youth because the issue is getting bigger,” Ms. Embree said.
Currently, Toledo Public Schools has about 1,800 students who are experiencing homelessness, said Heather Baker, the executive director of community engagement and student support at TPS. This only includes those who reported their housing crisis and received services.
The rate of student homelessness in Lucas County is more than double the rate of student homelessness in Ohio.
During the 2022-2023 school year, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce reports 1.4 percent of Ohio students were homeless, while 3.1 percent of Lucas County students were homeless.
Ms. Nordahl has also recognized an uptick in youth seeking shelter since the pandemic.
Safety Net saw an increase in enrollment each year from 2021 to 2023, when it served just under 300 children.
With the increases in first-time homelessness, and the scarce resources for youth transitioning out of foster care and the juvenile justice system, the federal grant is coming at a time of high need.
The homelessness board plans to focus its efforts and new funds on addressing racial inequity in youth homelessness as well as the overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth. Further, the organization plans to create a youth action board made up of people who have experienced homelessness firsthand to guide policy changes.
During the grant application process, the state coalition and county board collaborated with young adults and youth with lived experience of homelessness.
“We're going to continue to work with those folks and expand that group so that the system's improvement is being driven by the people who have experience with the system and who have been impacted by it,” said Amanda Wilson, the youth housing initiative director for COHHIO.
According to Ms. Wilson, the state coalition will also have a “particular focus” on youth exiting juvenile justice and youth exiting foster care.
“As a community, we've kind of been regearing our whole structural system,” Ms. Embree said. She described the process of collaborating with consultants and following HUD guidance to slowly reconfigure how the county homelessness board provides services.
It is important to note that federal funding can only be used for certain forms of homelessness, Ms. Embree said. For example, a teen who is couch hopping would not qualify for HUD-funded homelessness services.
“While we have a lot of work to do, and the funding is tight, it is definitely needed,” Ms. Wilson said. “We have a strong infrastructure of folks who care about youth homelessness and are interested in tackling the problem.”
Ms. Nordahl is hopeful that Safety Net will receive a portion of funding from the grant. The shelter, which is funded by a collection of grants, has run a deficit since its inception. While the shelter staff hopes to invest in renovations to make the space more comfortable for residents, they are currently unable to fund large-scale projects, Ms. Nordahl said.
The state coalition and county board are not the only organizations going through changes; United Way has been working on a 211 to Teen program that it hopes to launch in the next few months, Ms. Matthews said.
Ms. Matthews described working on 211’s youth homelessness response on both the front and back end. Teens need to know they can call directly, she said, and the staff that works with youth need to be treated better.
“These young folks that are out there; they're trying,” Ms. Embree said. “Many of them are working and the things that they can accomplish while also being homeless are amazing.”
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
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 advisors 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.
Most Popular
Comments / 0