ORLEANS – There are just a few days left for anyone interested to participate in the Homeless Prevention Council’s 2018 Massachusetts Youth Count Survey for the Cape and Islands.
Results from the survey drive the development of the Massachusetts State Plan to End Youth Homelessness and can help to address critical issues such as emergency shelter needs for youth.
The annual statewide initiative began Monday, April 23rd through Sunday, May 13th with data collected from the survey going to help support policy reform, new program design and current service delivery.
“We’ve had a really good response from young people, sadly identifying many ways with the full plight of facing housing instability,” said Hadley Luddy is the council’s executive director, “but we’re thrilled that we’re getting a large number of folks responding and sharing their information.”
The Council is partnering with volunteers from the Community Leadership Initiative of Lower Cape Cod, Hyannis Youth and Community Center, Cape Cod Community College, and other organizations to distribute surveys across our region.
In 2017, 74 surveys were completed in 13 out of the 23 Cape and Islands communities. HPC is aiming to get a broader group of respondents this year by utilizing partnerships with other organizations and coordinating a broader outreach effort.
Community input is critical to get an accurate count, so anyone working with young people facing housing instability or who can share this survey with others it may impact, are encouraged to do so at tinyurl.com/mayouthcountsurvey.
“What we would really love people to do it is to either go to the Facebook page of the Homeless Prevention Council or simply look online to the Massachusetts Youth Count,” said Luddy.
“The more folks that share this information the more likely we will be able to gather data that will give us the information we need to go forward.”
The survey can be completed online in less than 5 minutes.
By DAVID BEATTY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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