A Philadelphia-area homeless and runaway youth housing organization is facing a funding gap that could potentially shut down its LGBT youth program.
Valley Youth House provides services, counseling, life skills and a variety of programs for homeless and runaway youth in Philadelphia.
Its PRIDE Program, founded in January 2010, is geared towards LGBT youth, ages 18-21, whose needs are often different from heterosexual and cisgendered individuals.
However, the program may be terminated if new funding cannot be secured.
According to grant writer Kathi Krablin, the PRIDE Program received a start-up $200,000 grant through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, which expired in September 2011. The program receives an additional $40,000 from the Homeless Assistance Fund, Inc., which has helped it sustain itself for now.
Its base program budget is $90,000.
The organization has applied for and been denied grants from Calamus Foundation, Claniel Foundation amd Samuel P. Mandell Foundation and has a pending application with the Spruce Foundation.
Krablin said the program will reapply for the HAFI funding and will likely make a decision on the future of the program by the summer.
According to PRIDE Program life-skills counselor Sarah Morrison, the initiative was founded after Valley Youth recognized a real need for resources for the growing number of LGBT homeless and runaway youth in Philadelphia.
“We wanted to create a place where LGBT youth could go, feel embraced, supported and encouraged. There are so many youth who were not in foster care that were in need of housing and support,” she said.
Valley Youth House traditionally works with youth in Philly who have been connected to the foster-care program.
Morrison said the LGBT youth come from a variety of situations, including abusive households.
“Sometimes the youth have been kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and sometimes their families cannot afford to house them anymore,” she said.
When LGBT youth are accepted into the PRIDE Program, they are offered a curriculum that includes courses on housing and counseling to evaluate preparedness for independent living. Youth learn about budgeting, banking, credit, how to find a roommate and how to talk to a landlord.
Originally, the program was able to pay for costs associated with the young people’s new housing; however, because of the discontinuation of the federal grant, it struggles to continue that service.
“In the beginning, we could pay moving costs and an additional four months’ rent,” Morrison said. “It was a good chance to allow the youth to save up some money. Now, we can only afford to pay first and security to move them in.”
The program currently serves 22 youth with Morrison as the only staff member.
Krablin said that, if the program is terminated, the youth will be referred to other programs, but resources are limited.
Morrison added that the PRIDE Program offers a unique service for youth in need who will be adversely affected if the program is terminated.
“We are the only homeless and runaway program that focuses on LGBT youth,” she said. “There are no other programs like us in the area.”
For more information on Valley Youth House, go to www.valleyyouthhouse.org.