An Orlando nonprofit will be providing 12 transitional housing units to homeless and at-risk youth, ages 18-24, who belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
Zebra Youth is an organization dedicated to meeting the unique needs of this vulnerable population, providing resources for affordable youth housing, mental health services, and general support. The goal is to ensure these youth can become healthy, self-sufficient individuals.
Executive Director Heather Wilkie has been doing this type of work for 9 years and said these programs are more necessary than ever for Central Florida youth.
“These kids are our future. We have to be able to give them the best possible chance at becoming stable, healthy adults, and programs like this are so important. You know, they face so many challenges, and we've seen a lot of additional challenges politically in the state of Florida, so really giving them an opportunity to be able to thrive is our goal,” Wilkie said.
Through the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida’s Brighter Days initiative, Zebra Youth was able to access some of the funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that were specifically granted earlier this year to address youth homelessness in the region. HSNCFL reported Central Florida has the highest rate of increase of youth homelessness in the state.
For its part, Zebra Youth has spent the last year renovating 12 apartment-style units in Orlando, each to hold a single resident for up to two years. During this time, residents will be assigned one of two case managers to help them acquire skills to independence, including schooling, employment, and — eventually — apartment leases of their own.
The organization pointed to studies that show that 28% of LGBTQ+ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives.
The latest data from the suicide prevention nonprofit, the Trevor Project, shows 73% of LGBTQ+ youth reported mental health concerns, while 45% considered suicide. Wilkie said Zebra Youth caseworkers stick to a trauma-informed approach, as each unique case requires individualized care and support.
“LGBTQ youth are at a much greater risk for a lot of unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues sometimes just related to the fact that they are one of the most oppressed groups. Oftentimes, they are not supported by their families and their school environment, so that can create a lot of anxiety, depression, sometimes, unfortunately, suicidal ideation, and can lead to unstable housing and then homelessness,” she said.
For now, the apartments are unoccupied, but the nonprofit is currently evaluating potential candidates, and Wilkie said they hope to have their first residents within the next couple of weeks.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
