Youth homelessness

Guests: John Ducoff, Brandon Stokes, Laura Rena Murray

Hundreds of teens and young adults are homeless in the Delaware Valley. Many come from homes of abuse, neglect, addiction, or extreme poverty. Some have been kicked out for identifying as LGBT, which make up almost half of the homeless youth population. This hour we examine the problem of youth homelessness and what can be done to combat it. We’ll talk about the causes, the risks for young people, including human trafficking, and the child welfare system. Marty talks with BRANDON STOKES, a student at Philadelphia Community College who was homeless for many years, LAURA RENA MURRAY, an investigative reporter who has also experienced homelessness in Philadelphia, and JOHN DUCOFF, Executive Director of Covenant House Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that serves runaway, homeless and trafficked young people.