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Poverty 2014 Young and Old. Do we have the skill? Do we have the will?. Seniors and Poverty. 1 in 10 (9%) FPN 1 in 7 (15%) SPM 4.8 Food Insecure 33% Increase in Homeless Seniors. Causes of Senior Poverty. Creating a Plan of Action. What will we do?. Readings.
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Do we have the skill? Do we have the will?
Seniors and Poverty 1 in 10 (9%) FPN 1 in 7 (15%) SPM 4.8 Food Insecure 33% Increase in Homeless Seniors
Readings So Rich, So Poor: Why It’s So Hard to End Poverty in America by Peter Edelman The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David Shipler
The Link-Brief Overview • Housing & Homeless Youth Services: 4 Housing Programs for Homeless Youth (Lincoln Place, Lindquist Apartments, Housing First Program & TLP for a total of 138 Units) • Juvenile Justice Alternative Programs: School Matters, Juvenile Supervision Center, Evening Reporting Center • Safe Harbor Emergency Shelter and Housing for Sex Trafficked Youth
Why are youth at risk of poverty? • They may be born into poverty through their parents/care giver’s economic status. • They are young and do not have the ability to work full time due to their age and school obligations. • Lack of employment history due to age-have a harder time finding higher paying employment opportunities (older youth).
Current Numbers-Still more work to do… Number of Children/Youth Living in Poverty in Minnesota 6% of the Child Population is Living in Poverty (200,000 in 2010) 20% of Children in Ramsey County are living in Poverty 36% City of Minneapolis 21% Blue Earth County 28% Beltrami County Children’s Defense Fund, 2013 Number of Homeless Children/Youth in Minnesota On Any Given Night • 2,211 unaccompanied homeless youth under the age of 18 • 1,869 between the ages of 18 and 21. • A total of 4,080 youth are homeless each night Wilder Research Center, 2013
Racial, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Disparities • Half of all of the African American and American Indian children in the state of Minnesota are living in poverty.(U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey) • African American children in Minnesota make up 7% of the general population but 46% of the children who are living in poverty. • American Indian children make up 1% of the general child population in Minnesota but account for 49% of children living in poverty.
Racial, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Disparities • In the metro area 54% are African American (when only 8% of the general youth population is). • In Greater Minnesota 32% are Native American (when only 2% of the general youth population is). • 20-40% identify as GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender) v. 3-5% of the general youth population. Wilder Research Center 2013 and Multiple Other Sources
Current Initiatives: Federal Examples • Fostering Connections Act • Educational Training Voucher Program • SELF Program • Family Unification Program Vouchers • Federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act • Head Start & Early Head Start • McKinney Vento Law
Current Initiatives: State • Homeless Youth Act • Safe Harbor Law/No Wrong Door Response for Sexually Exploited Youth • Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth Program • Rural Homeless Youth Listening Sessions Project (partnership with Otto Bremer Foundation) • State Plan to End Homelessness • Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program • Healthy Transitions to Adulthood Program
Current Initiatives: Local Examples • Heading Home Plans • Hennepin County No Wrong Door for Sexually Exploited Youth Plan • Metro Youth Systems Redesign Project • Stable Families Initiative Pilot • Many Community Action Agencies are starting to develop youth specific programming (AEOA, Lakes & Pines, Scott Carver CAP, Lakes & Prairies)
Resources and Research Children’s Defense Fund, 2013 Minnesota Kids Count: http://www.cdf-mn.org/sites/2013-publications/minnesota-kids-count-2013-a.pdf Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless website www.mnhomelesscoalition.org No Wrong Door Legislative Report: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/!2012%20Safe%20Harbor%20Report%20(FINAL).pdf Wilder Research Center website www.wilder.org Youth Moving Forward, www.youthmovingforward.org
Thank You! Jim Scheibel Honorary Professor of Practice Hamline University School of Business 651-523-2545 jscheibel01@hamline.edu Beth Holger-Ambrose Executive Director The Link 612-767-4467 bholger-ambrose@thelinkmn.org