Explanation
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Huckleberry House in support of its Teen Crisis Program and Shelter.
Huckleberry House is an organization that has supported runaway and at-risk youth since 1970. It is seeking continued support for its Teen Crisis Shelter, serving runaway and at-risk youth, ages 12-17, and their families. The Teen Crisis Shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Any young person, age 12-17, can walk through the doors to find a safe place and a caring adult. Most often, youth seek shelter at Huckleberry House because of a crisis in the family. Over the last 54 years, the needs of the youth in our community have changed. The youth they serve demonstrate significant mental health challenges, are adversely affected by the trauma they have experienced in their home or in the community, and lack the ability to successfully deal with anxiety, fear, and anger. Huckleberry House’s program provides safe and stable shelter, hygiene items and clothing, and food ensuring basic needs are met. Then, the youth participate in 1:1, group, and when possible, family counseling. Often, a Crisis Plan is written with specific goals and objectives. The goal is family reunification, if possible. If it is not, then their staff works to find safe and stable housing for that youth, to ensure they remain housed and off the street.
In 2025, 86+% of the young people served in the Crisis Shelter were able to return to safe and appropriate housing. The Teen Crisis Shelter is the only shelter for unaccompanied minors in central Ohio. It served over 400 unduplicated youth, and the average stay was six days. Huckleberry House does an extensive intake and exit process with each young person it serves utilizing a client medical record to track all data. Outcomes tracked include: total number of clients served; percentage of youth who transition to safe/stable housi...
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