HHS/Runaway and Homeless Youth Act FY 2016
THE NEED FOR FUNDING AND REPORT LANGUAGE:
$50,000,000 for the Administration of Children and Families to implement the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, originally part of the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act and last reauthorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L.110-378) as follows: $43,000,000 to increase the capacity of programs that serve runaway and homeless youth to address human trafficking, $5,000,000 to increase capacity and provide training for service providers to identify and serve exploited and trafficked youth, and $2,000,000 to conduct the National Study on the Prevalence, Needs and Characteristics of Homeless Youth
Summary of Program
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA), originally part of the JJDPA and last reauthorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L.110-378), provides vital services to runaway, homeless, and disconnected youth. Homeless children and youth are at high risk for trafficking, illness, and trauma; they also perform lower on academic assessments, and are more likely to drop out of school, than housed children living in poverty. ACF has been involved with monitoring, reporting on and consulting with other government agencies regarding Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) programs. These programs provide young people with hope, safety, healing, and opportunities for a new life through: emergency shelters, family reunification, work when safe, aftercare, outreach, education and employment, health care, behavioral and mental health, transitional housing, and independent housing options.40 This support achieves the following successful outcomes for youth: 1) safe exit from homelessness and hopelessness; 2) family reunification and/or establishment of permanent connections in their communities; 3) education, employment and sustainable independence; and 4) prevention of human trafficking. Further, these programs are often best positioned to prevent trafficking and commercial exploitation and provide early identification of victims of these crimes.
Need
Despite large increases in child and youth homelessness, funding has remained flat for RHY programs. RHYA-funded Basic Center Programs have turned away 14,855 youth since FY 2010 due to a lack of an available bed, while RHYA-funded Transitional Living Programs have turned away 28,488 youth since FY 2010 due to a lack of an available bed. In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 2014 Point-in-Time, which included unaccompanied homeless youth for the first time, counted on a single night in January 2014:
- 6,274 unaccompanied homeless minors (under 18 years old) – 59.3% were unsheltered;
- 38,931 unaccompanied homeless youth (18-24 years old) – 45.6% were unsheltered.
Without emergency and transitional housing and crisis intervention, these children and youth are at even greater risk for trafficking and other life-threatening conditions.
This modest investment will expand the number of communities with Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) programs and lay a foundation for a national system of services for our most vulnerable young people who are at risk of becoming or have already been victims of exploitation and trafficking, abuse, familial rejection, unsafe communities, and poverty.
Solution
ATEST is requesting $50,000,000 in FY 2016 for the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) in HHS to implement the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, originally part of the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act and last reauthorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-378), in order to prevent trafficking, identify survivors, and provide services to runaway, homeless and disconnected youth. This amount of funding would fund the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act at the level it is currently authorized.
ATEST believes that by securing additional funding for existing programs for specialized services, we can better support current expertise and ensure that the needs of human trafficked youth are being met.
Proposed Report Language
The Committee recommends $50,000,000 for the Administration of Children and Families to implement the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, originally part of the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act and last reauthorized by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (P.L.110-378) as follows: $43,000,000 to increase the capacity of programs that serve runaway and homeless youth to address human trafficking, $5,000,000 to increase capacity and provide training for service providers to identify and serve exploited and trafficked youth, and $2,000,000 to conduct the National Study on the Prevalence, Needs and Characteristics of Homeless Youth.