Each year, more than 3.5 million young adults and approximately 700,000 youth experience various forms of homelessness, with Black and LGBTQ+ individuals facing an even higher risk than others. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of unhoused young adults aged 18 to 24 increased by 17%.
In an effort to establish a new way of addressing the national issue of youth homelessness, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced the Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act on Friday.
The legislation proposes a pilot initiative offering $1,400 in direct cash aid for 36 months to emancipated minors and individuals under 30 experiencing homelessness. Housing, health, and other facets of the program will be studied.
“We can’t keep repeating the same policy approaches that haven’t ended the youth homelessness crisis. By providing direct cash assistance, we can address our housing crisis while respecting the autonomy and dignity of the folks receiving assistance,” Tlaib said in a press release. “This bill came directly from young people with lived experience. They helped craft the bill to ensure that it meets the real needs of our unhoused neighbors. In the richest country in the history of the world, it’s time to eradicate homelessness. The Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act brings us closer to that goal.”
Recent research indicates that cash assistance for unhoused populations can enhance housing and employment outcomes without leading to increased substance abuse issues. It also reduces reliance on shelters and grants individuals the autonomy to address their own unique challenges. Plus, participants in past cash assistance programs have described the impact as life-changing.
Ann Arbor kicked off its own guaranteed income program about a month ago, but the study of cash assistance has been relatively uncommon in the U.S. thus far. Tlaib hopes to change that and use the proposed program to help demonstrate the benefits of direct cash assistance for young people.
The proposed bill is endorsed by national and local organizations including Detroit Justice Center, Homeless Action Network of Detroit, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, MiSide Community Impact Network, and the Ruth Ellis Center, among many others. The legislation is also cosponsored by representatives Cori Bush, Sylvia Garcia, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Barbara Lee, and Jan Schakowsky.
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