GRASS VALLEY, California – The Nevada County Continuum of Care in conjunction with Bright Futures for Youth’s SAFE program will conduct a survey Tuesday, May 9 through Thursday, May 11 to determine how many children and young adults in Nevada County suffer from housing instability, a growing but often overlooked problem in rural communities.
The organizations encourage young people aged 25 and under who are affected by homelessness to participate in the survey at the time of the youth census. The results could pave the way for more funding and services to address the problem in the community.
The Nevada County Continuum of Care, Community Beyond Violence and other organizations, as well as SAFE staff and Youth Action Committee members, will be available Tuesday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. at the San Juan Community Library Annex, 18847. available for meetings with young people at Oak Tree Road on North San Juan Ridge and 3-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 at the new SAFE Youth Drop-in Navigation Center at 200 Litton Drive in Grass Valley.
Also, a mobile effort will attempt to reach out to young people in high-traffic areas in Grass Valley and Nevada City from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11.
The SAFE (Stability, Access, Foundation and Empowerment) Drop-in Center on May 10 will provide backpacks, gift cards, clothing and groceries for survey participants. SAFE staff can also help young people affected by homelessness access health services and counseling.
“It is critical that every single young person affected by housing instability is counted to better understand the broader problem in our community,” said Jennifer Singer, Executive Director of Bright Futures for Youth and Nevada County Board Member Continuum of Care. “Accurate census will help describe the need for more funding and services for children and youth facing housing instability.”
Homelessness among children and young adults ages 12 to 24 is a rapidly growing but often difficult to identify problem in rural areas where nature surrounds small towns and communities compared to nearby Sacramento and other large California cities are .
Also, the definition of “housing instability” can be a bit vague. Teens affected by homelessness often surf the web with family members or friends on the couch, live in hotels, sleep in a vehicle, or maybe even live in a shed or trailer with no electricity or plumbing — not just on the streets.
“You may not see people affected by homelessness the way you do in downtown Sacramento, San Francisco or Los Angeles, but housing instability is a very real and growing problem in Nevada County,” said Aurora Packard, program director for the SAFE program .
In fact, SAFE is currently helping around 120 young people affected by homelessness today – 10 times the target when the program started in 2019. SAFE case managers meet with about 50 of these youth each week, and an average of five others learn about the program over the same period.
However, how many children and young adults are homeless in Nevada County is uncertain, according to local officials.
The Youth Point-in-Time Count will provide a more accurate number while helping those facing housing instability access much-needed services. SAFE works with numerous governmental and nonprofit organizations in the community to ensure children and young adults receive the services they need.
Some youth affected by homelessness may need clothing or a hot meal, while others may need access to health care, counseling and shelter – or all of these services. The SAFE Drop-in Center also offers a place to charge smartphones, laundry services, showers, developing new skills, applying to college, financial aid, nutrition programs, or even job hunting.
“Youth affected by homelessness are often unaware of the services available,” said Phebe Bell, behavioral health director for Nevada County.
The Homeless Resource Council of the Sierra (HRCS), the leading organization in Nevada counties and placer continuum of care for homelessness, conducts an annual point-in-time survey each winter with the help of community organizations and volunteers. The latest poll found nearly 500 adults were homeless as of the night of Jan. 25, according to HRCS, down slightly from 525 a year earlier. The survey also identified 26 people under the age of 25 who slept outside, not with family or guardians.
But the closely monitored survey uses a much narrower definition of homelessness that undercounts youth experiencing homelessness.
“The Nevada County CoC is committed to data-driven decision making,” said Joe Naake, director of strategic operations at Hospitality House and chair of the Nevada County Continuum of Care teenagers are available in Nevada County.”
The Youth Point-in-Time Count connects children and young adults, a vulnerable group, as half of the adults affected by housing instability today were homeless at some point in their childhood.
“Housing insecurity is often a cycle that is repeated from one generation to the next,” Packard said. “SAFE’s mission is to identify youth affected by homelessness, help them find housing and other services, and open the door to new and often life-changing opportunities.”
Youth Point-in-Time Count data can also assist with grants and other sources of funding for homelessness efforts in Nevada County, including for the SAFE program.
Last year, Bright Futures for Youth received a $937,000 federal grant from the Center at Sierra Foundation to expand outreach and case management efforts for youth affected by homelessness in Nevada County. The three-year grant through Elevate Youth California—a project of The Center at Sierra Health Foundation under contract with the California Department of Health Care Services—has enabled Bright Futures for Youth to open the SAFE Drop-in Center, establish larger programs, and hire multiple employees.
“We’re already reaching out to youth in person and through social media, encouraging them to spread the word about the survey, which could help them and so many others,” said Singer of Bright Futures for Youth. “We want to reach as many youth affected by housing insecurity as possible and help them build a more stable foundation for their future.”
About bright future for youth
Bright Futures for Youth is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and young adults in Nevada County. Bright Futures for Youth has three programs: The Friendship Club, founded in 1995; NEO, founded in 2008; and SAFE, launched in 2019 to help youth affected by homelessness. Bright Futures for Youth focuses on health and well-being, healthy relationships, goal setting, self-awareness, self-sufficiency and connectedness with the community. For more information, visit www.bffyouth.org or visit Facebook at Facebook.com/BrightFuturesforYouth.
