Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with STAR House to provide services for homeless youth for a twelve-month period for a total amount of $150,000.00.
The STAR House is a welcoming drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 14 and 24 and serves as a safe and accepting place where they can connect with a concerned community. STAR House enables the youth to do their laundry, eat, rest, bathe and receive clothing. It also acts as a place to connect to the services available through other agencies that provide educational, health, financial and food subsidies along with job-seeking skills.
There is a void of services available for homeless street-living youth between the ages of 14-24 years in Columbus, Ohio. It is estimated that over 1,500 youth in Columbus are homeless on the streets in any given night. STAR House offers a gateway from the streets to the mainstream.
Founded in 2006, STAR House began as an outgrowth of a federally-funded research program. During the course of the research, it was determined that a drop-in center is necessary in order to engage youth into more intensive services including housing, education, employment and mental/physical health treatment. STAR House uniquely integrates research and community service. Effective engagement, linkage, and treatment strategies are tested and put into practice without the myriad barriers in many other research-to-practice efforts. In this way, STAR House is always testing and implementing state of the art, evidence-based practices.
The funding set forth in this ordinance will authorize and direct the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement with STAR House to provide funding for critical services, specifically the need for STAR House to maintain 24/7 operations throughout calendar year 2016. Continuous operation is needed so that youth have a safe haven during night...
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