California Legislators to Hold Hearing Tomorrow on High Level of Youth Homelessness in California
Los Angeles – On World Homeless Day, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) will hold a hearing on the high level of youth homelessness in California, and what the state should be doing to get young people off the street. This will be a joint informational hearing of the Senate and Assembly Human Services Committees, which Senator Wiener and Assemblywoman Rubio serve on as chairs. At the hearing, service providers, researchers, advocates, and youth will testify about what they see every day, and how the Legislature and the state government can help.
WHO: Senator Scott Wiener, Chair – Senate Human Services Committee
Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio, Chair – Assembly Human Services Committee
Service providers, researchers, advocates, and youth
WHEN: Tuesday, October 10
1:30pm-4:30pm
WHERE: Los Angeles LGBT Center
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza—Renberg Theater
1125 N. McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038
WHY: Nearly one-third of the nation’s homeless youth live in California, which equals almost 12,000 young adults and minors who are unaccompanied and usually unsheltered. Wait lists for services are long and experts say what is needed are programs that help youths with education and job training so they can avoid future homelessness. There are steps toward identifying best youth-focused services at the federal, state and local levels, but the need continues to grow.
Senator Wiener:
“Too many young people are living on California's streets, and we need to do more to help them with their unique needs. We know that when we invest in helping these youth - with housing, education, health, and job training - they can succeed. By contrast, when young people remain on our streets, they turn into long-term homeless and are much harder to reach. Let's help these youth early and get them on a positive path in life.”
Assemblywoman Rubio:
“California has a responsibility to our homeless youth. Whether those youth have fallen out of a challenging foster care system or escaped a hopeless home situation, the legislature must address the increasing number of homeless in our state. My goal for this hearing is to talk about the needs of our youth and address those needs by investing resources that will take homeless youth off the streets and put them on a path to recovery and stability.”
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