By: Ajza Shields
Introduction
Winter is coming, which means it's getting cold outside. In other words, the homeless population in Philadelphia is in danger of frostbite and dying of hypothermia. Since we are all about the kids these days something should be done right? 6,583 Children and youth in Philadelphia experienced homelessness during the 2016-2017 School Year.
How'd they get in this position?
When you think of homelessness you think do you say to yourself "Well maybe if they just had worked harder then they would be in a better place in life"? Well, many in the homeless community are children and it is not their fault. There are many reasons for children to be out on the streets and none of them are good. One reason is that the parent(s) get laid off from their jobs so they have no income which means they can't pay bills. And if they can't pay bills, then they get kicked out of their homes. Another reason is parent neglect, whether the parent simply just didn't want their children or they are drug addicts who can't possible care for the kid(s) and the kid(s) feel safer on the streets. Or there is a known history of abuse in the family and the child decides to leave. On the issue of abuse, many homeless youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are kicked out of their homes by parents who do not accept their children's sexuality.
What problems do they face?
Homeless youth face many challenges in living on the streets. There are few numbers of youth in shelters because shelters have a limited number of beds. Because they are still underage, the youth don't have that many rights which means that they can't get jobs to earn enough money for the basic necessities of life. Often, they turn to any job that can make them money, prostitution because it is sometimes the only way they can support themselves. This, of course, is illegal since they are still minors. Besides, this causes them to be more susceptible to contracting HIV/Aids and other STDs. Homeless youth also suffer from higher rates of anxiety and depression. Since they don't have access to certain things they are poor in health and do not get enough nutrients. Also since they don't have an actual guardian getting and attending school is quite troublesome for them because they don't have an address or the right documents or even sometimes the ability to travel to school. They face many challenges such as supporting themselves as bodily, dearly and financially.
What are some solutions?
There are just a few number of shelters that are offered to the youth some of them are several youth shelter in Philadelphia those being Youth Emergency Service, The Covenant House Crisis Center, Dawn's place, Project Phoenix and then there is also a runaway hotline. In the future if we are lucky we could see the end of homelessness in the world but until then there are people who are trying to make a difference.
Page updated
Report abuse