A new shelter will take in homeless young people in Modesto. Can it cure the problem?
A worrisome part of the homeless crisis is that young adults and adolescents are living without the security of a home.
The Center for Human Services will open a navigation center in Modesto to provide shelter, temporary housing and services for teenagers and young adults, 13 to 24 years old, who are homeless, in a crisis or don’t have stable housing.
The Youth Navigation Center has been under construction next to the Center for Human Services main office at 2000 W. Briggsmore Ave. The shelter and drop-in center will be housed in the former Roller King building, once a hangout for youth dating to perhaps more innocent times in Modesto.
The 14,300-square-foot facility will include a 24-bed low-barrier shelter for people ages 18 to 24. The project also features a daily drop-in center for up to 30 young people, separate suites for housing and sheltering younger people by age group and rooms for counseling.
The CHS will arrange for mental health and substance abuse counseling at the site. The navigation center also will connect young people to education, employment and help with finding permanent housing. The Project YES youth employment program will offer its services.
Cindy Duenas, executive director of the Center for Human Services, said 10 apartments leased from the Housing Authority for transitional use will be repurposed for permanent housing. The agency expects to increase its permanent housing supply to 28 slots through the project.
Duenas said it’s a good start toward an ultimate goal of ending youth homelessness. With people ages 18 to 24 making up around 10% of the homeless population, the problem has been virtually eliminated in some communities across the country, Duenas said.
“We will divert as many young people as we can from becoming homeless (long-term),” Duenas said. “Let’s make it their first and last experience with homelessness.”
The nonprofit agency cites nationwide statistics that 10% of young adults live without stable housing each year. About 1 in 30 teenagers are affected by homelessness.
Duenas said the Homeless Management Information System has identified 290 people ages 18 to 24 who are waiting for housing in Stanislaus County and have their information entered on a database. Outreach workers record data on homeless young people in the information system.
“One of the biggest challenges is there is not enough housing and they are competing in the housing market with people who have full-time jobs and more money than they have,” Duenas said.
Many homeless young adults were previously in foster care. Drug use and mental health issues are also common in the population.
Center has served homeless youth for years
The Center for Human Services has provided eight shelter beds for teens at the Hutton House since the 1980s and has 16 transitional housing slots in the Pathways program.
More than 1,000 young people received housing and drop-in services through Hutton House and Pathways in the past three years.
Right now, Stanislaus County does not have dedicated shelter beds for people 18 to 24 or coordinated services for the younger homeless population. “We will have young people coming to us from all walks of life,” Duenas said. “We will have mental health and substance abuse counseling so they won’t have to go someplace else.”
In reviewing applications from young people for the Pathways program, Duenas said, she sees heartbreaking personal stories, such as: “Our mom died and we’re being evicted from the house”; college students living in cars; or family conflicts forcing young people to leave home.
“There are a lot of different ways that young people end up homeless,” Duenas said.
Lateesah, formerly of Angels Camp, said she was living with her sister in Modesto and sleeping on an air mattress. She went to a doctor appointment, where she shared her troubles and was given a pamphlet for the Pathways program.
The 21-year-old has lived in a Pathways apartment since October. “We meet with a case worker once a week,” she said. “Before moving to Pathways, they were nice enough to get me a bed so I wasn’t on the floor anymore.”
The residents in the 24-month Pathways program are expected to work on employment goals and build a support network, and many are prepared to move on before the two years are up, the CHS said.
Lateesah noted that residents save money when rental payments are placed in a savings account. When the account grows to $3,000 the money can be used for getting on their feet, she said.
Lateesah said the navigation center project will support young people who are struggling. She and other program participants were asked to share ideas for making the center welcoming for youth.
“It is important for the kids to know they are there not because they have done anything wrong,” she said. “They need to know these people are not taking advantage of anyone. They are just trying to help kids get off the street.”
City and county support the project
The city of Modesto awarded a $500,000 zero-interest loan for the Center for Human Services project, which also has drawn support from a $500,000 community development grant. The county came through with $750,000 in state funding through a homeless emergency assistance program.
The campaign to raise an additional $1.5 million for costs has brought in $1.3 million in community donations, Duenas said. Naming and recognition opportunities for specific areas of the center are offered.
The Center for Human Services has hired 15 new employees and will also use existing staff to run the navigation center.
Construction should be completed before a grand opening and public tours set for July 9. Opening remarks will begin at 11:30 a.m, followed by small group tours starting at 11:45 and continuing every 10 minutes until 2 p.m. People are asked to reserve a spot.
The Center for Human Services has a main office at 2000 W. Briggsmore Ave., Modesto. 209-526-1476.
This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
