Food Assistance for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

1. Food Assistance for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Ty Jones, Policy Analyst, CBPP Patricia Julianelle, Legal Director, NAEHCY Courtney Smith, Youth Task Force Coordinator, NAEHCY

2. Our Plan for Today • Background on unaccompanied homeless youth • Youth Perspective • Issues/Barriers facing youth applying for SNAP • Resources • Q & A

3. What causes child and youth homelessness? • Lack of affordable housing • Poverty • Economic recession; Unemployment • Health problems • Lack of health insurance • Addiction disorders, Mental health • Domestic violence • Natural and other disasters

4. What causes homelessness among youth on their own?

5. How many children and youth experience homelessness? • Public schools identified 1,168,354 homeless students in the 2011-12 school year. • A 72% increase since 2007. • 1.6 – 1.7 million youth experience a runaway or throwaway episode each year.

6. YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

7. What is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--SNAP? • Food assistance to low-income people – including 22 million children. • Largest anti-hunger program. • Provides protections for vulnerable groups. • Includes specific rules to ensure access. • Can be an important resource to homeless youth.

8. Protections in SNAP for Homeless Individuals State agencies must: • Have a method of certifying and issuing benefits to eligible individuals, • Grant an exception to verification of residency, • Provide a special deduction for shelter cost,* and • Provide an exception to reporting requirements.

9. Homeless Definitions = Hurdles for Youth Education Definition of Homeless Housing and Urban Development Definition of Homeless SNAP Definition of Homeless

10. Homeless Definitions

11. Myths To Access Paula Myths Can’t apply because she is under 18 Can’t prove identity with school ID Must have a permanent address Must apply with family living with temporarily Must live with parent or guardian Can’t receive SNAP because parent (in separate household) receives SNAP also • 17-year old runaway with no income • Various living arrangements with friends • Attends schools frequently • Mother kicked her out • Mother receives SNAP with Paula in household • Is Paula eligible?

12. Scenario 1 -- Age • Paula • Is 17 years old • Staying with a family friend temporarily • Denied SNAP because she is under 18

13. Scenario 2 – Photo Identification • Paula • Is 17 • Staying with her friend temporarily • Applies for SNAP • She has a school identification card and is denied SNAP

14. Scenario 3 – Fixed Address • Paula • Stays with various friends (couch-surfing) temporarily • Does have identification – school ID • Since she doesn’t stay anywhere long she doesn’t have a permanent address to provide on the application • Is denied SNAP because she does not have a fixed address

15. Scenario 4 – Must Apply With Family Living with Temporarily • Paula • Paula is heading towards graduation and is still couch-surfing for a few more months. • When she graduates she will be leaving for college with a full scholarship • Is denied SNAP because she will not include the information of the family she is staying with temporarily.

16. Scenario 5 – Parental Contact • Paula • Paula has no contact with her mother and has not lived with her for almost 1 year • Paula’s mother also receives SNAP and still has Paula on her SNAP case • Department of Social Services wants to contact her mother and Paula fears that her mother may come after her or she will be taking food from her mom’s household which includes her younger sister.

17. Students & SNAP Paula has graduated and is now in college. Now what? • Students enrolled at least half-time are ineligible, except if: • Under 17 or over 50 • Disabled, (temporary or permanent) • Receiving TANF, • Working at least 20 hours, • Participating in work study, • Participating in on-the-job training, • Has a dependent, or • Placed in institution as part of employment/training program.

18. What Can You Do? • Check your state’s online application to see if youth can apply. • Check your state’s policy manual to see if there is policy specific for these youth. • Encourage unaccompanied homeless youth to apply. • Don’t take “No” for an answer. • Keep copies of USDA guidance. • Connect with local anti-hunger and legal aid organizations. • Reach out to local DSS offices.

19. Policy Manuals Can Help Clear Confusion

20. Resources • USDA Guidance – • SNAP Clarification of Policies Barriers Facing Homeless Youth • http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Policy_Clarifications_Homeless_Youth_Issues.pdf • FNS Homeless Q&A. • http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/outreach/pdfs/Homeless_QA.pdf • CBPP Online Links Paper • http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1414

21. Resources cont. • NAEHCY • http://www.naehcy.org/legislation-and-policy/legislative-updates • NCHE • http://center.serve.org/nche/index.php

22. How To Reach Us • Ty Jones tjones@cbpp.org • Patricia Julianelle pjulianelle@naehcy.org • Courtney Smith csmith@naehcy.org

23. Questions and Comments • To Type your question: • To Talk: raise your hand