Homeless Advocates To Push For Law Change

Jun 13, 2008 by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) During the next legislative session, homeless advocates in Utah plan to ask lawmakers to change a law preventing them from providing overnight shelter for underage youth.

"The current legal structure basically would state that we would be harboring a minor if they stayed at our facility. ," says Zach Bale, Director of the Homeless Youth Resource Center in Salt Lake City. "We would still go through all of the same things that we do, any time that we have a minor come in that we know is identified as a minor we have to contact a guardian to provide service. We would still go through that process, but it would remove the liability piece of harboring minors that we would be worried about."

Bale says the organization would like to start an overnight shelter for 15 to 23 year olds. While those over 18 are eligible to stay at other homeless shelters, Bale says many won't because they aren't trusting of adults.

"Many of our youth are homeless because of having negative experiences with adults being physically, sexually, psychologically, or mentally abused. As a result of that they don't see it as a safe place to go," says Bale. "Youth over 18 could theoretically go there, but it's really asking the youth what service would best be accessible for you and how would it work."

A new documentary film about homeless youth in Salt Lake City, titled "Outside," will debut next week at the Salt Lake City Main Library at 210 East 400 South. The showing takes place on Tuesday at 7pm in the library auditorium. A conversation with the filmmaker can be downloaded from the Midday Metro page.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW