"Can I talk to you?"

" Do you have a few minutes to tell me your story?" 

This is what you might have heard late last Thursday night in Red Wing if you were out and about.  The Homeless Response Team had volunteers out trying to reach out to young people living on the streets. Homeless young adults are individuals under the age of twenty-one who lack financial and emotional support. Recent estimates are that there are currently 40 +  "sofa hopping" in and around Red Wing.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, five to seven percent of American youths become homeless in any given year. In Red Wing, as in many small towns, it is often difficult to determine how many are homeless. They often remain hidden by moving from place to place as they find a welcome spot to stay for a night, a week, perhaps even a month.

Causes of homelessness among young adults range from family problems to economic problems to chemical or mental health issues.

Many homeless youth leave home after years of physical and sexual abuse, strained relationships, addiction of a family member, and parental neglect. Disruptive family conditions are the principal reason that young people leave home: many young adults report that their parents either told them to leave or knew they were leaving and did not care

One young man interviewed Thursday evening was left without an involved parent and unsupervised at the age of 11. His mother is a prostitute and he had been a victim of sexual and physical assault in his home. His attendance slipped, grades fell and he had behavior problems in school. After moving from one school to another he was finally expelled after being caught with a concealed weapon. He was arrested for stealing food from local stores. Finally out of desperation, he too turned to prostitution, which led to drug use and drug sales to earn money.  

Many programs attempt to save these young lives,but after age 18 help dwindles with fewer programs offering assistance to young adults. Those homeless young people who do try to make a change, face difficulties attending school because of residency requirements, improper records, and lack of transportation. As a result, homeless people face severe challenges in obtaining an education and supporting themselves emotionally and financially. Escapism in the form of drugs and alcohol abuse become an easy option. Homeless young adults often suffer from severe anxiety and depression, poor health and nutrition, and low self-esteem. 

There are solutions, but they are costly and need a commitment from the community at large. Studies indicate that homeless young adults benefit from programs that meet immediate needs first and then help them address other aspects of their lives. Educational outreach programs, assistance in locating job training and employment, transitional living programs, and health care especially designed for and directed at homeless youth are also needed. 

In the long term, they would benefit from many of the same measures that are needed to fight poverty and homelessness in the adult population, including affordable housing and employment that pays a living wage. In addition to these basic supports,  we as a community must make every effort to prevent children from ending up on the streets.

It is only when we ALL get involved to stop poverty that we have a chance of moving forward. 

Give.  Advocate. Volunteer.  Do something to make our community, our county, our region, our state, our world a better place for all.

Thanks for reading!

Maureen Nelson

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