On a single night in 2019, 35,038 unaccompanied youth were counted as homeless in the United States.
With COVID-19, and now inflation, the war, and rising costs at home -- the need is ever growing and UMATT3R has a have a viable, sustainable solution.
We are looking for strategic partnerships to launch the first UMATT3R Chicago Pilot Program for 30-40 youth by 2023.
How Do You Solve homelessness?
Simple: With homes.
Solving homelessness is not only possible, it's viable.
Find out more with the University of Chicago Publication below on why the model works, key factors for success, and immediate resources available (don't worry, it's short!):
Case_Statement-2.pdf (allchicago.org)
See our 2023 Pilot Pitch Proposal:
UMATT3R INC: Out to Eradicate Young Adult and Teen Homelessness. Period.
2023 Pilot Pitch Proposal:
The longer an individual is on the streets, the more likely they are to be impacted by drug abuse, violence, suffering and death.
All of this is solvable now.
According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness, "Seventeen out of every 10,000 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2019 during HUD’s Annual Point-in-Time Count. These 567,715 people represent a cross-section of America. They are associated with every region of the country, family status, gender category, and racial/ethnic group." (see: https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/).
The UMATT3R concept came as a result of the founder being a homeless teen himself.
The team was put together specifically to maximize the collective 90+ years of research, economic training, non-profit acumen, political and business experience, real estate (both commercial and residential) prowess, and mental health specialization.
The UMATT3R long-term approach is to implement not just a housing program but training in individual self-governance, personal management, long-term career/entrepreneurial success, relationship building, mental and physical health, how money actually works, and ultimately homeownership.
Why it matters
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The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that over the course of a year, approximately 550,000 unaccompanied youth and young adults up to age 24 experience a homelessness episode of longer than one week. More than half are under the age of 18.
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50% of homeless youth are unsheltered — sleeping outside, in a car, or some place not meant for human habitation.
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LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness according to study done by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.
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Approximately 40% of homeless teens identify as LGBTQ while making up only approximately 7% of the overall youth population.
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Out of 3.5 million cases of teen and young adult homelessness, only 25% had access to "couch surfing."
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50% of adolescents aging out of foster care and juvenile justice systems will be homeless within six months because they are unprepared to live independently and have limited education and no social support.
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Teen/young adult homelessness is a direct contributor to the increase in suicide, which is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24.
Additional Reference Material:
https://allchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Case_Statement-2.pdf
https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/
https://www.thenightministry.org/blog/the-night-ministry-opposes-change-to-shelter-equal-access-rule
https://www.oldstpats.org/phoenix-hall.html
https://www.bethanychicago.com/crib
https://www.thenightministry.org/
European Model Counterpart with 2020-2030 Vision Established and Proven to Work (see Y Foundation):
UMATT3R MISSION:
End teen/young adult homelessness.
Structure: permanent housing programs designed to empower teens
and young adults on being financially stable, societal navigation, vocational/career/educational success, and how to not just buy a home, but keep it.
We meet each person where they are, build a specialized approach for what they ACTUALLY need to win, and will work with them until they have the keys to their first home.
Unique Structures: strategically compiled cohort of diverse specialists with niche expertise in all major fields of industry.
Collaboration-first approach. Cross-promotion with other non-profits and businesses already doing great work in the world. By strategically leveraging already in-place resources, we can quickly reroute each individual to get the exact training they need to win and break the cycle.
Founder's Story
When I was growing up, kids like me weren't known as "dyslexic or ADHD," we were labeled "stupid", "stubborn," and "hyperactive trouble makers."
Throughout Middle School and Jr. High, no one knew I was dyslexic they just knew I couldn't spell, was in the bottom for reading comprehension, and had terrible social skills.
My folks did everything they could think of but school was a nightmare for me.
I barely made it through 8th grade, I was so miserable and fed up with feeling lesser.
I dropped out of school at 15, got my GED at 16 and I found myself living out of my car that same year.
Since I'd started working early on, I had a car, a career, and no where to go due to being a non-emancipated minor. I had work history, 0 credit, and money but no legal housing options.
I remember trying to get this one apartment complex to let me stay anywhere by offering six months in cash upfront.
They wouldn't because I wasn't 18.
From my teen years into my mid twenties, I experienced violence, drug abuse, gangs, street living, transient behavior, high anxiety, emotional turmoil, instability, all while working at least one full-time job. I slept in my car, stayed with people when I could, or got adults to get me a hotel room for however long I could afford it.
I'll never forget what it felt like the day I got the keys to my first house as a homeowner in my 20s. That night, I slept in MY HOUSE and in MY BED with MY sheets and MY mismatched towels. I didn't have a mansion, I had something that was mine.
For the first time in years, I felt pride. I want that for everyone, starting with those least statistically likely to achieve it.
I put this whole thing together so that teens that historically feel lesser, marginalized, worthless, or disposable have a safe place to discover who they really are and how much they unequivocally matter.
Stephen Potter–
Principal Founder
Partners
