ORLANDO, Fla. – November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to the 16- to 24-year-olds facing homelessness.
Leaders in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties are joining forces to raise awareness and address the issue locally.
At the recent Florida Conference on Ending Homelessness, held at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, community leaders, advocates, and young people gathered to discuss the needs of homeless youth.
District 6 Commissioner Bakari Burns showed recognized the issue with a proclamation.
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“I do hereby proclaim November 2024 as Youth Homelessness Awareness Month in the city of Orlando,” Burns said.
Attendees included young people who have personally experienced homelessness. Through dance and spoken word, they shared glimpses of their struggles.
One young man, Jordan Mitchell, performed a piece to highlight his reality.
“Now I am currently just on the street,” Mitchell said. “When it comes to getting into college or finding a stable career, that is very challenging when you also have to deal with the struggles of not having a place to sleep at night or just keep up with hygiene.”
Mitchell, a member of the Youth Action Society, collaborates with the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida to shed light on youth homelessness and advocate for change.
Aja Hunter, youth projects director for the Homeless Services Network, said their team has identified 1,200 unaccompanied homeless youth in Florida.
Adding, the number is likely higher.
She said Wednesday’s event was a success.
“This is a monumental moment,” Hunter said. “I have not seen anything to this level of bringing together partners and young people across the state of Florida to really raise awareness about youth and homelessness.”
She believes the first step is increasing public awareness, but more concrete solutions are also needed.
“We don’t have any shelters where youth and young adults feel safe to go into,” Hunter said. “What we hear from our youth and young adults is, ‘We don’t want to go into adult shelters; it is scary, the line is long.’ We need safe housing options that are immediate.”
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