On the KTVU Fox2 News channel on YouTube, they discuss homeless youth in the San Francisco Bay area. They define homeless youth as someone without a stable place to live or sleep. Homelessness is invisible to many consumers who do not see its reality.
Austin, a 15-year-old, has been homeless since his parents’ divorce. He has lived in cars, shelters, and other places.
He says his mother, due to addiction, cannot provide a stable home and his father, a truck driver, is away quite often. Over 1,500 youth in San Francisco live in shelters or on the street without a parent or guardian.
Life Learning Academy, a school that deals with at risk children, says that this lifestyle often leads to youth ending up in the juvenile justice system or to drop out of school. The school runs homeless teen programs that help youth.
Michael, age sixteen, says he did not have a stable place to live and has lived in foster homes and with relatives since age 11. His mother is disabled, and his father was in jail. He says homeless youth worry about food, being clean and having a place to live every day.
Both boys are now attending Life Learning Academy and have hope for the future. The school is hoping to build a dormitory for kids to stay in and help them find homes as they grow older. These are the benefits of homeless teen programs.
