...IN BRIEF. April Larkin Street Youth Services Legislative Recommendations

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1 Larkin Street Youth Services...IN BRIEF 2011 Legislative Recommendations Larkin Street extends its impact beyond the youth we serve by sharing our knowledge and expertise with policymakers at the local, state, and national level. These efforts are to help ensure that there are sound policies and adequate resources allocated to meet the needs of runaway and homeless youth. This brief provides an overview of current legislation that impacts homeless youth. Federal Legislation These are interesting times for policy making at the national level. The federal government just averted a shutdown by reaching a budget agreement to provide funding for the remainder of the current fiscal year. It includes an unprecedented level of funding cuts, approximately $38 billion below FY 2010 amounts. Meanwhile, budget negotiations are already underway for the next fiscal year which will start October The recently passed House Budget Committee FY 2012 budget proposal contains $100 billion in discretionary funding cuts from the proposed presidential budget, continuing the drastic cuts and rolling funding back to below 2008 levels. Funding would then be frozen at that level for five years. It is not expected that the Senate will approve the House version with the deep cuts to social net programs and will instead issue its own budget proposal. So as we finish one round of tough budget negotiations we begin another. Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Appropriations FY 2012 The Family and Youth Services Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services administers the main federal program dedicated to youth housing and homelessness, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. The three main programs are Street Outreach, Basic Center (emergency housing), and Transitional Living. While the program has demonstrated success it is limited in scope and capacity. There are an estimated 1.7 million runaway and homeless April 2011 youth under the age of 18 in the United States every year (Burt, 2007). In FY 2008 the Basic Center program, which provides emergency housing for youth under the age of 18, served 42,167 youth (National Network for Youth, 2009). This is less than 5% of the estimated runaway and homeless youth population. In 2009, more than 7,500 youth were turned away from shelter and housing programs by service providers because they were unable to accommodate the youth (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2010). The current funding level of $116 million is insufficient to support the level of need across the country. The President s budget proposal calls for $120.7 million in funding, a 4% increase over FY 2011 amounts. Larkin Street supports an increase in appropriations to the authorized amount of $165 million. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Appropriations FY 2012 The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, signed in 2009, reauthorized the McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act and included modifications and proposed program expansions. These funds are administered through Housing and Urban Development (HUD). One modification expanded the definition of homeless to individuals, including unaccompanied youth, who are precariously housed. The act supports a range of housing options for homeless individuals which are coordinated through a local Continuum of Care Program. The FY 2011 budget includes $1.91 billion for McKinney-Vento, a $40 million increase from FY However this amount does not allow for full implementation of the HEARTH Act. Larkin Street supports President Obama s FY 2012 proposal of $2.37 billion for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants.

2 Ryan White Care Act Appropriations FY 2012 The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is the primary federal funding source dedicated to providing care and treatment for HIV-positive individuals. The Part D Program provides funding for programs that serve children, youth, women, and families. While the FY 2012 presidential budget provides an overall increase in funding for CARE, Part D is flat funded (compared to FY 2010 levels). Larkin Street supports the proposed presidential amount of $2.34 billion in total funding for CARE programs. Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Appropriations FY 2012 The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, administered through HUD, provides housing assistance and support services for HIV-positive individuals. Housing and support services have been demonstrated to improve outcomes for individuals who are HIV-positive as well as reduce new infections. The program is effective, 94% of 2010 participants achieved stability (National AIDS Housing Coalition, 2011). San Francisco s HOPWA housing wait list has been closed since 2001 due to high demand despite the fact the number of individuals needing services continues to increase (National AIDS Housing Coalition, 2010). Despite funding increases in the last fiscal year the current level does not meet the need. Larkin Street supports funding of at least the proposed presidential amount of $335 million, which is a slight increase over the FY 2011 amount of $334.3 million. Workforce Investment Act Youth Activities Fund Appropriations FY 2012 The Workforce Investment Act funds workforce development programs for disconnected youth, including homeless youth. The 2012 presidential budget contains $923.9 million for WIA Youth Activities. However this amount includes an 8% set aside for the Workforce Innovation Fund that was previously not included, and therefore represents a $74 million reduction from FY 2010 levels. WIA Youth Activities has seen over 50% reductions in funding amount since 2001 (National Collaboration for Youth, n.d.). Funding is needed now more than ever as youth unemployment rates have skyrocketed. Since the beginning of the recession the youth labor force (ages 16-24) has contracted by 1.1 million workers (Bivens, Edwards, Hertel-Fernandez, & Turner, 2010). Funding for WIA Youth Activities for FY 2011 is $827.6 million, a decrease of $96.5 million from the previous year. Larkin Street supports FY 2012 funding of $923.9 million without a set aside. California Legislation At the state level there are also budget uncertainties as the legislature struggles to balance the budget. While it is important to ensure that state budgetary decisions do not dismantle the safety net for homeless and at-risk youth, Larkin Street s legislative priorities at the state level are focused on no- or low-cost ways to improve services for this vulnerable population. The agency supports the following bills. Emergency Youth Shelter Facilities SB 119 The Community Care Division of the California Department of Social Services is responsible for the oversight of residential programs serving youth under the age of 18 who are placed outside of their home. This bill would expand the definition of a community care facility to include emergency youth shelters. Currently there are no regulations specifically designed for youth shelters, which results in inconsistent application of current group home licensing regulations to youth shelter providers. Some programs are waived from licensing, some are granted exemptions to licensing components, and others are required to modify their programs to meet licensing requirement. The current licensing regulations were created to meet the needs of youth residing in group home settings, programs that exist to create long term solutions for youth within the child welfare system, and therefore do not work for shelter environments. Larkin Street recognizes the need for oversight to ensure standards of care are in place for the safety and well being of this vulnerable population. Other states have successfully created licensing requirements for homeless youth providers and these statutes should be used as a model rather than trying to revise regulations that were created for youth in the child welfare system. California Runaway, Homeless, and Exploited Youth Act SB 123 It is estimated that there are at least 200,000 homeless youth, ages 12-24, in California each year (John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes and California Coalition for Youth, 2009). However there is no coordinated plan to reduce homelessness among this vulnerable population. Not addressing the problem now will lead to increased costs later as a result of increased incarceration, use of emergency medical care, and use of public assistance as adults. This legislation asserts that California must define homeless youth as a priority population in need of state resources. The range of services needed to 2

3 address youth homelessness include education, health care, housing, behavioral health, counseling and family reunification. Collaboration across public and private entities is necessary to effectively provide services and reduce the extent of the problem. The Act will lay the foundation for a comprehensive statewide plan to address youth homelessness by defining the population, determining the service needs, identifying means to assess public investment in services for this population, and proposing a consistent revenue stream to meet the demand for housing and support services. Interagency Council on Homelessness AB 1167 California is one of the few states that do not have an interagency council, despite the fact that the state has the largest homeless population in the nation. This legislation would create a multi-agency council to coordinate a statewide response to homelessness. The council would allow the state to use existing resources more effectively and efficiently, improve coordination between state systems, create stronger public-private partnerships, attract more philanthropic and federal resources, and lead to greater accountability and transparency. Conclusion As we climb out of the recession there is still a great deal of uncertainty at all levels related to funding priorities and allocations. While there are tough decisions that need to be made we cannot afford to dismantle the services safety net for our most vulnerable populations. We need to follow through on the commitments we have made to reduce homelessness in five to ten years (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2010). And we must invest in our future by providing our youth with the tools they need to ensure we have a workforce that is competitive in the global market. 3

4 References Bivens, J., Edwards, K. A., Hertel-Fernandez, A., & Turner, A. (2010). The class of 2010: Economic prospects for young adults in the recession. Washington DC: Economic Policy Institute. Burt, M. R. (2007). Understanding homeless youth, characteristics, multisystem involvement, and intervention options. Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support. Washington DC: The Urban Institute. John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes and California Coalition for Youth. (2009). Too big to ignore: Youth homelessness in California. San Francisco: John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes. National AIDS Housing Coalition. (2010). HOPWA 2011 budget request. Washington DC: National AIDS Housing Coalition. National AIDS Housing Coalition. (2011). HOPWA 2012 budget request. Washington DC: National AIDS Housing Coalition. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2010). FY 2011 appropriations: Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Washington DC: National Alliance to End Homelessness. National Collaboration for Youth. (n.d.). Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Activities Funds. Washington DC: National Collaboration for Youth. National Network for Youth. (2009). Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Appropriations. Washington DC: National Network for Youth. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2010). Opening Doors: Federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. Washington DC: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. 4

5 Since 1984, Larkin Street Youth Services has been committed to helping San Francisco s most vulnerable youth ages move beyond street life. This commitment has fueled the development of a comprehensive continuum of services that is nationally recognized as a model of innovative and effective care. We offer stability, safety and the opportunity for a better life. For Additional Information Contact: Dina Wilderson, PhD Chief of Research and Evaluation Larkin Street Youth Services 701 Sutter Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA P: (415) , ext. 332 dwilderson@larkinstreetyouth.org 2011 Larkin Street Youth Services