Philly dedicating more money to fight youth homelessness

An infusion of city funding hopes to eliminate youth homelessness in Philadelphia. 

There are as many as 6,000 youth in the city who don’t have a permanent place to live.

 

These 18 to 24-year-olds in Philadelphia are staying with friends or relatives or actually on the street.

City Councilwoman Helen Gym says the new $700,000 will expand shelter capacity 12 percent.

“This is our first step to kind of showing how we can make a difference against significant hurdles we have facing us our cities and our young people,” Gym said.

Tom Harrington President of Valley Youth House says young people don’t leave home on a lark.

“Sometimes they may be coming out and their parents kick them out of the house,” he said.  “We find many young ladies that come home and tell their parents they are pregnant and I can’t believe it but some of their parents tell them they have to leave.”

The funding will be used for new shelter beds, job training and crisis services.