| Non-Profits Shine Spotlight on District’s Homeless Youth |
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| Regional Archives | |||
| By Leah C. Taylor - WI Staff Writer | |||
| Thursday, November 19, 2009 | |||
 The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates held a forum and discussion on homeless youth Tue., Nov.10, in Northwest. Amanda Jones asked a question, as actor Jermaine Crawford of “The Wire” and his mother Wanda, (seated) listen. Photo by Victor HoltCouncil members, government agency representatives and members of the city’s nonprofit community assembled inside the True Reformer building on U Street to exchange ideas and learn about the factors that contribute to the growing number of homeless youth in the District. The program, “inVisible: Shining a Light on DC’s Homeless Youth” was sponsored by the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA), a coalition of more than 100 youth service and advocacy organizations and Council member Tommy M. Wells (D-Ward 6). The half-day program that included panel discussions and question and answer sessions was designed to shine a spotlight on homeless youth and develop solutions for the marginalized group who intentionally stay under the radar and often forfeit services that could improve their lives. “Young people go to great lengths to ensure that no one is able to identify them as homeless,” said Eshauna Smith, DCAYA Executive Director. “Youth who are in fact homeless set up various arrangements to live or stay with friends and acquaintances to piece together shelter; yet, they never identify this lifestyle as one that is in fact associated with being homeless.” There are approximately 1,400 young people who are homeless in the District, according to data compiled by the National Alliance to End Homeless and DCAYA. However, the number only includes youth who have previously contacted nonprofit agencies to obtain shelter. Advocates and professionals who work with young people agreed that targeting homeless youth in order to direct them towards critical resources remains a huge challenge. Oftentimes, they do not want to be labeled as being homeless. They go to great lengths to remain invisible and assert their independence by not seeking help. They do not want the “charity case” stigma. “They’ll do whatever they have to in order to fit in,” said Jermaine Crawford, an actor who portrayed the beleaguered character, Duquan “Dukie” Weems, a homeless youth on HBO’s The Wire. Crawford, 16, told the group that he has decided to do his part to draw further attention to the issue by filming a documentary, “Teenage and Homeless in America: Change is Gonna’ Come.” Crawford said that filming is scheduled to begin within the month. “I truly believe it’s very important,” Crawford said. “You can influence people who are singing your songs and re-creating your videos, but when it comes to something serious, people [often] stay quiet.” “When you’re there [in the public eye], you may as well use it for something good,” the young man said. During the panel discussions, Debbie Shore of Sasha Bruce Youthwork in Southeast cited a lack of coordination between District nonprofits and key government agencies as being another barrier to meeting the needs of this vulnerable population. Shore’s organization works with homeless and at-risk youth. “There are lots of ‘parts’ of the system that exist,” the executive director said, “but they are not coordinated and youth do not have access to these services if they do not fit into ‘this box’ or ‘that box’.” Shore also cited various models around the country including Denver’s Road Home program and components of Atlanta’s Hope VI Initiative that have proven to be effective in reducing youth homelessness through job training and other innovative programs. She said that “a progressive Mayor, a progressive legislature and a strong nonprofit community” were key factors in each of these programs’ success. WI
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