Minors may be experiencing homelessness alone for a number of reasons, such as abuse or family conflict over sexual orientation and gender identity. And while there are existing services that could help, current law prevents youth under the age of 18 from consenting to many of these services without a parent – despite the reality that seeking their parents’ consent is often not an option.
When young people cannot access the services they need, they are extremely vulnerable to victimization and violence. As the 2022 Massachusetts Youth Count found, respondents who left home as minors were less likely to be sheltered, have a high school degree, or receive the help they need.
Amendment #209, filed by Sen. Gomez, would ensure mature minors can access important services, helping youth between the ages of 15 to 18 meet their immediate needs and assisting them on their journey towards stability. Similarly, Sen. Kennedy's Amendment #271 would support youth and young adults experiencing homelessness by allocating $10,000,000 in funding for housing and wraparound support services, an essential investment that reflects the scale of need across the state.
Massachusetts has seen a surge in youth homelessness over the past year and with queer and BIPOC youth disproportionately impacted, these amendments are critical to establishing increased supports for some of our state’s most marginalized young people. Please take this one-minute action and urge your State Senator to co-sponsor and actively support Amendments #209 and #271 in the housing bond bill!
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