State Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio will hold a hearing at the Los Angeles LGBT Center today to discuss the causes of homelessness among young people and the need for solutions, including funding, to get young people off the streets.
The hearing will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Renberg Theater at the Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place.
It will be a joint informational hearing of the state Senate and Assembly Human Services Committees, which Senator Wiener and Assemblywoman Rubio serve on as chairs. At the hearing, service providers, researchers, advocates and young people will testify about what they see every day and how the legislature and the state government can help.
Nearly one-third of the nation’s homeless youth live in California, which equals almost 12,000 young adults and minors who are unaccompanied and usually unsheltered. Wait lists for services are long, and experts say what is needed are programs that help youths with education and job training so they can avoid future homelessness. There are steps toward identifying best youth-focused services at the federal, state and local levels, but the need continues to grow.
