Homeless Youth Connection

Homeless Youth Connection’s (HYC) mission is to eliminate barriers to graduation for homeless youth and create lasting solutions for a successful future through community support and increased awareness. HYC serves homeless youth ages 13-19 who are attending local high schools. Youth are provided with basic necessities, case management, housing, and mentors to ensure they have the resources and life skills to stay in school and complete their education. Along with educators, government agencies, faith-based organizations, and compassionate community members and donors, HYC is helping bring a positive future to this nearly forgotten population. In 2014 the Department of Education Homeless Education Office reported 29,764 children were homeless in Arizona. In the 50+ West Valley high schools served by HYC, more than 1,800 youth have been identified as homeless. These students face numerous barriers to education, keeping many of them from completing high school or achieving post-secondary education. This affects a young person’s future ability to live independently and results in undeveloped learning and communication skills, leading youth to have future difficulty integrating into society. Unaccompanied homeless youth, or “youth on their own”, is the most difficult subpopulation of homeless to quantify. Many homeless youth do what they have to in order to survive, such as sleeping in cars, bartering sex for shelter, couch surfing, or residing with abusive family members who threaten to “kick them out.” Without real support, such youth may find themselves in and out of jail, dependent on the welfare system, or living their life in a chronic state of crisis. HYC is a preventive measure to the potential negative life experiences above. If a homeless youth does not have to worry about where they are going to sleep at night or where their next meal is coming from, they can focus on staying in school, getting their diploma and becoming a responsible, productive adult.