When The Center began planning a housing project for homeless LGBT youth, we were responding to what the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force later described as an “epidemic of homelessness” among our community’s youth, particularly our “transition-aged” youth. Transition-aged youth are 18-24 year olds who are “transitioning” from their teenage years into young adulthood. The image most of us conjure up about this age group is that of first-year college students who are moving into college dormitories, fraternity houses or off-campus housing at local universities or colleges, usually leaving home for the first time.

Although most universities do their very best to ease this transition – offering “orientation classes,” resident hall advisors and structured class schedules – every parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle knows the anxiety of that first year. Faced with new freedoms and new responsibilities, the world quickly becomes overwhelming for an 18-year-old: sex and sexuality, alcohol, drugs, staying out all night, whether to go to class, how to make new friends, how to have enough money to eat something other than Top Ramen … the list of decisions is predictable and seemingly endless. And most families pray that they have done enough to prepare their youth to make (mostly) good choices in this new environment.

Sadly, this is not the situation for the formerly homeless youth who now call The Center’s Sunburst Youth Housing Project home. Instead of families who have worked for years to prepare them for new responsibilities, these youth learned to live in the canyons in Balboa Park. They learned to beg for food or sell their bodies for money or a warm place to sleep. They came to The Center after severe maltreatment and rejection, first at the hands of their parents or caregivers; then at the hands of a system of care that was ill-prepared to address their needs. They come to us with a set of survival skills that, while necessary and workable for life on the streets, will keep them from succeeding in their new world at the Youth Housing Project. They are often deeply mistrustful and, all too often, have never had the opportunity to set any goals other than staying alive and safe from one day to the next.

In short, we work with a group of young people who face multiple life challenges and, at least when they first come to us, few of the resources necessary to address those challenges. Fortunately, residents at The Center’s Youth Housing Project have access to a range of support services and opportunities to learn new skills. They are also supported by a professional and caring staff that is there to encourage and help them. It is inspiring to see what they can do for themselves in a relatively short period of time.

The fact is that almost all of our residents are making enormous strides toward achieving independence. More than 90 percent of our residents are actively involved in case management services. In addition, 61 percent of our residents are employed and 26 percent are in school full time. Seventy percent of the residents who had substance abuse histories are participating in treatment programs.

These results are particularly impressive, considering that all programs and services at The Center’s Sunburst Youth Housing Project are completely voluntary. Consistent with the Housing First model, residency at Sunburst is not contingent on participation in programs and services. Instead, housing is contingent upon complying with the terms and conditions of a standard lease agreement. Residents are required to pay 30 percent of their gross monthly income toward rent, and they are required to pay their rent on time. Further, just like all other renters, they are responsible for keeping their apartments clean, not disrupting the quiet enjoyment of the premises by other tenants and not engaging in any illegal activities on or around the premises. These are their first steps toward accepting and managing basic adult responsibilities.

Once our residents can begin to experience housing stability, they can begin to think about their futures. Many of these young people have faced years of hardship and homelessness, and it will take time to get them back on solid ground. They will certainly make mistakes; all youth do. We cannot reasonably expect these young people to overcome years and years of damage in days, weeks or even months.

We defeat ourselves – and these young people – when we don’t give them a real shot at a healthy, productive adult life.