For Immediate Release
October 7, 2019
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-487-5436
League creates tool to determine youth homelessness stats by Intermediate School District
LANSING—Over 34,000 kids in Michigan’s K-12 schools are homeless. Of those, over 4,800 are “unaccompanied youth,” meaning they are not in physical custody of a parent or guardian. According to a new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy, these youth are even more vulnerable to serious threats facing the total homeless population including sexual exploitation, untreated mental health disorders and physical victimization.
To help people who work with youth, the League has built a new tool that allows users to examine the demographics of the homeless population and determine the number of unaccompanied youth in their Intermediate School District.
The report recommends strengthening the network of resources tailored to the unique needs of people between the ages of 12 and 24—most homeless programs cater either to families or single adults.
“Drop-in centers are more informal settings where youth can access food, showers, laundry and personal hygiene supplies in a place that understands the challenges facing people age 12-24,” said Parker James, Kids Count Policy Analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy. “These places are able to help youth meet basic needs, complete schoolwork and talk to service providers about challenges they’re facing. But centers like this aren’t available in most communities. We want to encourage community leaders to create spaces where youth feel prioritized—and existing structures like hospitals, libraries and community centers could all be used for programming like this.”
Because 44 percent of youth facing homelessness reported having stayed in jail, prison or a juvenile detention center at some point, the report also recommends specific reentry programming for justice-involved youth.
“Youth who’ve been in the child welfare or juvenile justice system are among the most likely to experience homelessness,” James said. “They’re often unprepared to live independently and they don’t have social supports. We’re seeing some great programs around the state that are helping kids transition out of the justice system. The Michigan Youth Reentry Model is a really effective program being used at the Department of Health and Human Services and in Oakland County. We’d love to see county courts across the state use this model to help justice-involved youth get the support they need.”
The report also points to the state’s current affordable housing crisis and its impact on youth age 24 and under, who average a monthly income of $168.
“Affordable housing really is at the core of all homelessness issues in Michigan, and we need to create a dedicated funding source for the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund,” James added. “And based on what we’re seeing in this report, we need to make sure to prioritize housing projects that support youth age 24 and under, particularly programming that helps support sustained independence.”
Over half of unaccompanied youth under age 24 accessing homeless services identify as Black or African American. Transgender and gender-nonconforming youth and youth who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native are also overrepresented.
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The Kids Count in Michigan project is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Funding for the project is provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, Michigan Education Association, American Federation of Teachers Michigan, Ruth Mott Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, and the Battle Creek Community Foundation. More state and local data are available at the Kids Count Data Center, www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
