Restoration Gardens

Young Adult Initiative - A long term supportive housing program for young adults

Facility

Location: 3701 Cottage Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215; Southern Park Heights Community

Space: Individual apartments with common space on each floor; community, meeting, and recreation rooms; technology rich environment; bright, youthful design with a home-like feel

Proposed Funding Sources

Capital: HUD's Housing for People with AIDS ($750,000 committed); Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Rental Housing Production Program, State Bond Bill, Maryland Affordable Housing Trust, Affordable Housing Program of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Atlanta, local and national foundations

Operating: HUD rental subsidies or specific set aside; tenants contribute 30% of income

Program: Federal services funds, local foundations and corporations, individual donors and volunteers, social enterprise initiative

Program

Eligible Population: Young adults ages 18-24 years old; homeless or unstably housed

Population Characteristics: Homeless youth have spent much of their time in institutional and foster care, do not have a GED or high school diploma, experience weak family connections, have more experience with illegal drugs and alcohol than their peers, and often come from racial or ethnic minorities

Program Elements:

• Supportive services to enable and empower residents to achieve safe, decent, and affordable housing and employment at a livable wage
• Individual goal and action plan that builds on each person's strengths and interests
• Education, opportunity, and support to achieve these goals
• Onsite programs and services as well as supported access to community resources

Why is There a Need for Youth Supportive Housing?

• The 2005 Baltimore City Homeless Census reported that over 7,000 individuals (unduplicated) experienced homelessness that year. The city estimated that 10% were under age 18, and 13% between 18 and 30.
• The Baltimore City Public School System reported that 1,339 students were homeless in 2004-5. However, this number does not include the students who hide their homelessness from the school system or teens who have dropped out of school.

Homeless youth are runaways and throwaways:

• In 1999, 150,700 youth were arrested for running away from home
• Females account for most juvenile arrests for running away (59%)

Homeless youth have experienced traumatic childhoods:

• 38% of runaway and homeless youth reported emotional abuse by a parent figure.
• 46% had been physically abused and 17% had been forced into unwanted sexual activity by a family or household member.

Homeless young people have been in institutional care and foster care:

• 25% of youth exiting foster care were homeless one or more nights during the first year after leaving care.
• 25-40% of youth in foster care become homeless adults.

Young people in Baltimore City live in difficult circumstances which contribute greatly to their limited incomes:

• Drop out rate - In 2005, only 60% of Baltimore's high school students graduated.
• Teen pregnancy - 8% of teenage girls gave birth to a child.
• Income - Minimum wage is $6.15 an hour, which is $12,792 a year; 25% of Baltimore's children under the age of 18 live below the poverty rate.
• Safe and affordable housing is difficult for young people to attain; an income of $13.46/hr or $28,000 annually is needed to afford an efficiency leasing for $700.
• Arrest rate - The Baltimore City juvenile arrest rate for violent crimes in 2003 was 129 per 10,000 youth compared to 50 per 1000 for the State; in 2003 there were 12,253 juvenile justice intake cases.