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Grant fights Milwaukee youth homelessness
Milwaukee received a federal grant to help young people experiencing homelessness. The $3 million comes with a unique stipulation to tackle the issue.
MILWAUKEE - An estimated 15,000 young people experience homelessness in Milwaukee each year, according to the Pathfinders.
Who better to know how to tackle the problem than those who have lived it? A $3 million federal grant is making that possible.
"I remember a young person saying to me, ‘How can I be homeless when I’m a kid?’" said DeShanda Clark, Pathfinders senior vice president of programs and services.
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Now, some who have been in a similar position are asking: How can we help change things for others?
"They’re really excited to end this cycle," Clark said.
Pathfinders
Pathfinders serves vulnerable children and young adults ages 11 to 25. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dropped off a big check.
"This is a really big deal," said Clark.
HUD selected the city of Milwaukee to get more than $3 million dollars to fight youth homelessness. The stipulation? Young people who've been homeless must lead the way.
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"They’re sick and tired of seeing their peers and family members in challenging and vulnerable situations," said Clark.
"It’s going to be something that we’ve never seen before in Milwaukee," said Audra O'Connell, Walker's Point Youth & Family Center executive director.
Walker's Point Youth & Family Center also offers services to at-risk young people in Milwaukee.
Walker's Point Youth & Family Center
"This grant is all about innovation, and it’s all about taking the youth voice and making it the center of our planning and our programming," O'Connell said.
By focusing efforts on young people, O'Connell hopes it can end the cycle of homelessness.
"I’m excited, but I also want to jump in my DeLorean and go 20 years in the future and see how this impacts our 18-year-olds as they turn 30 and 40 and 50," she said.
Milwaukee receives $3 million grant to assist young people experiencing homelessness
Clark, meanwhile, said $3 million is only the beginning – a step in the right direction.
"We’re talking about generations of families that have experienced homelessness and home instability," she said. "I'm really excited and proud of my city right now."
Pathfinders said the next step in this process is planning for how the funding will be allocated. The young people involved will be paid for their time. O’Connell said they will work together to design changes – then implement them.