Metro VISTA Project Youth Count! 2013

Emily, Chelsia, and Josh: AmeriCorps

VISTAs

Billings, Montana

• 2012 Population:

106,954

• Area:

41.6 square miles

• 2013 HUD estimate:

338 homeless in

Billings

• 2013 Youth Count!

estimate: 73 homeless

Youth Count! 2013

Billings

Metro VISTA

Project

City of

Billings, Co

mmunity

Development

Division

Tumblewee

d

Youth Count! 2013

There was no accurate picture of the number, characteristics and needs of

homeless youth in Billings, Montana. Each January, communities across the

country conduct a census, Point-In-Time (PIT) count of their homeless

populations. Data on unaccompanied homeless youth is currently

unavailable, as a national standard for counting this cohort has not yet been

established. Available PIT data vastly under-represents the number of youth

experiencing homelessness and services required to impact poverty

conditions.

Youth Count! was sponsored by the City of Billings as a component of

Welcome Home Billings, the City's ten-year plan to impact homelessness.

This joint effort between Tumbleweed and the Billings Metro VISTA Project

originated through the City's Community Development Division

Definitions of Youth

Homelessness

Homeless: The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act definition of a homeless youth is any child or youth under the age of eighteen who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. For example, youth who reside in: runaway/homeless youth shelters; transitional housing; doubled-up in housing with other families or friends; couch-surfing; hotels or motels; shelters with family members; and campgrounds. The definition also includes those living in places unfit for human habitation, including cars, abandoned buildings, lots, parks, alleyways, uninhabitable trailers, or the streets.

Precariously Housed: Youth who are unaccompanied and on their own including those: in foster care and juvenile justice custody; who have left the system without a place to live; or placed into transitional housing including group homes, treatment centers and shelters.

At-Risk: Youth who are in danger of becoming precariously housed or homeless due to inadequate financial stability, lack of a sustainable family or support structure, etc.

Survey Instrument: Positive

Youth Developme

nt Model

7 page, 42 question survey

Questions included standard

demographics and housing

statusCompassionat

e understanding

without judgment

Volunteer Training Sessions

Youth Count! Survey Zones

Map

200 Goodie Bags:

Water, candy, snack

bars, chap stick

Youth Count! VISTA volunteers

Youth Count! Survey

Administration

Youth Count! Data and

Findings

What do

you need

most in

your life

right now?

“A

family

—just

not

mine”

176 surveys were completed over a three day period

96 surveys were completed by youth ages 13-21

73 (76%) youth are experiencing homelessness

13 (14%) precariously housed youth

10 (10%) youth who are at-risk of homelessness

Overall Population: Surveyed

Youth

Male

50%

Female

50%

Gender96 Respondents

White

58%

Native

American

15%

African

American

4%

Hispanic/Latino

6%

Multi-Racial

12%

Asian/Pacific

Islanders

2%Unknown

3%

Race / Ethnicity96 Respondents

56

17

22

17

10

4

6

9

Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty one

Age by Number of Responses96 Respondents

Yes

46%

No

54%

Access to Government

Identification41 Respondents+

Yes

60%

No

40%

Access to Birth

Certificate42 Respondents+

Yes

63%

No

37%

Access to

Social Security Card41 Respondents+

Yes

26%

No

65%

Sometimes

9%

Do you have a permanent residence?96 Respondents

< One Week

13%

> One Week

16%

> One Month

38%

> Year

33%

How long have you been without a

permanent place to live?45 Respondents

Outside

64%

Friend's

House/Couch

Surfing

13%

Legal

Guardian

9%

Group Home

6%

Shelter

2%

Treatment Center

2%

Caretaker

1%

Car

1% Parking

Garage

1%

Pre-Release

1%Other

8%

Where did you sleep last night?88 Respondents: Open-ended question, 88 responses indicated

Where did you sleep last night?

3

3

3

5

5

7

10

23

32

56

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Other*

Shelter/Youth Shelter

Foster Care

Doubled-Up

Car

Group Home

Caretaker/Not Legal Guardian

Legal Guardian

Friend's House/Couch Surfing

Outside

Where do you usually sleep?96 Respondents - Question indicated 'check all that apply'

Yes

33%

No

67%

Have you been in foster care?36 Respondents+

One respondent had been

with 10foster parents.

Another respondent had lived

in 13different foster homes

Yes

44%

No

46%

Sometimes

10%

Do you attend school?41 Respondents+

Elementary

2%Middle

School

13%

High School

58%

HS

Diploma/GED

27%

Highest Education Level45 Respondents+

Have

you

ever

been

bullied?

“They

cyber

bullied

me so

bad I

[was]

suicida

l”

Yes69%

No29%

Not Sure2%

Have you ever been bullied?

45 Respondents

Physical

13%

Verbal87%

Type of Bullying23 Respondents

4

7

13

6

12

1413

7

Week or less Less than a

Month

Month or

more

Year or more Never Don't know

Last time seen by a health care professional?33/34 Respondents+

Doctor Dentist

Yes*

10%

No

90%

Forced Sexual Favors?50 Respondents

*5 respondents: 3 Males/2 Females

Yes

47%

No

53%

Sexually Abused?40 Respondents+

Yes

52%

No

48%

Diagnosed Mental Health Condition?46 Respondents+

Do you

have any

diagnose

d mental

health

condition

s?

“ Not

yet ”

6

2

4

4

7

8

11

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Other*

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Anxiety

Attention Deficit Disorder

Clinical Depression

Bi-Polar Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Diagnosis42 Respondents+ - Question allowed multiple responses

*Other includes one response for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and one response for each of the

following disorders: Autism Spectrum; Obsessive Compulsive; Oppositional Defiant; Reactive

Attachment; and Intellectual Disability.

What is it that

you feel you

don’t have

control over?

“My

life, becau

se my dad

won’t let

me be who

I want to

be”

None

3%

One

31%

Two

23%

Three or

more

43%

How many caregivers have

you grown up with?35 Respondents+

22

32

36

25

21

25

18

13

25

29

3

01

0 0

Emotionally

Supportive?

Told you to leave

home?

Cursed at you? Made you feel

unsafe?

Used drugs in the

home?

Questions Relating to Primary Caregivers50 Respondents

Yes No Sometimes

Treatment/

Support

5% Education

7%

Health Care

22%

Housing

24%

Food

42%

Services Utilized

Responses also

included

identification of

the following

organizations

utilized for

services:

- Tumbleweed

- The HUB

- Montana

Rescue

Mission

- Saint Vincent

de Paul

Transportation

4%Legal

8%

Housing

14%

Treatment*

16%Job/$

29%

Family Issues

29%

Barriers to services

2

4

5

7

7

7

10

13

Transportation

Employment

Day Center/Place*

Clothing

Housing

Treatment

Food

Family/Support

What do you need most in your life?37 Respondents - 55 issues identified in narrative responses

5

4

5

11

11

*Other

Day Center/Entertainment/Recreation

Support/Services

Housing

Entertainment/Recreation

What services/programs does Billings need?40 Respondents - 36 issues identified in narrative responses

15 total responses for a Day Center, indoor entertainment and recreation, parks, sports

and places to hang out. *Other includes one response for each of the following:

transportation, spiritual establishment, employment, elder services and alternative school.

Citations and Information

City of Billings, Community Development

Division, Homeless Initiatives:

http://ci.billings.mt.us/youthcount

Joshua J. Downes & Chelsia Davis

AmeriCorps VISTA, Billings Metro VISTA Project