The Homeless at my Home

For the second time, I allowed a group of homeless youth in my apartment. I'm not unhappy about this, however, I question how long this has been going on and how long this will last.

Not sure I get you here.

How long has it been going on............you don't know how long you have been letting people into your home?

How long will it continue...........until you stop surely

Your call, your decision.

They only stay at my home for one night when I'm there.

When I said I didn't know how long this has been going on or will continue, I meant how long they have been homeless and how long will they stay like this. I hear about them sleeping on the train or at Starbucks. Though, I wonder where are their families or why aren't they in a shelter, I try to help them, only temporarily.

What ages are these homeless youth?
Your profile says you are 23 and 9 times out of ten these 'homeless' youths are run aways and you dear
carelt1985 can get yourself in a world of deep trouble . Why aren't these youths in a shelter , where is the CPS that are paid to care for children/minors under the age of 18 that need housing and food medical care etc...

Maybe you should do some research on the options open to minors that aren't living at home and the laws pertaining to non family members that 'help' these homeless minors/youths.

Ahh right, with you now.

It's good of you that you want to help out. I would though be real careful. Never know just who you are letting in, nor their background by your own admission you are unaware of.

Just take care and precautions huh. May be better as the poster above says to check out what other options are available.
If these youth are under a certain age, you're putting yourself wide open to all sorts of risk and accusation. Also, well you're a 23 year old woman, plenty of risk there to yourself

I don't know if these organisations do the same role in US as they do here - but perhaps phone the YMCA and Salvation Army for advice on where they could otherwise go.

I understand what you are saying. However, they are not strangers. I know them. They're in their early 20's.

In that case they are not homeless youths, they are adults , and there are programs like job corp that will supply housing,schooling , OJT to most anyone under the age of 25 , there are some rules that need to be followed. but hey that's life in the adult world.
Since they are 'crashing' at your place it would seem you have an income probably from a job or something , and pay your way , like rent, food and utilities etc,,,? and you are in your early 20's ,,,,
hey here's an idea. Why don't you let them use your shower and maybe some shampoo and then they could go around putting job applaications and maybe in a month or two have their own place to crash at.

In retrospect, "youth" wasn't the best word to describe them. We call each other that at a community center. Anyway, I do understand that some of them work and is looking for their own place. I also know that one isn't staying at a shelter 'cause she'd reached the maximum length of her stay; another has been homeless for years -- this person has a lover, but just not his own place obviously; I can't speak for the third person.

every week i do meals on wheels and met a few people who take the homeless into their own homes out of sympathy..people who are in such situations are either of two kinds, one, they just got down on their luck, usually those who have small children or consist of a family, husband/wife/kids, whichever..
and then there are those who just cant their priorities straight, and from what i see there's no homeless person who couldn't have prevented what happened to them if they just put a little more work and effort into what they did prior to being homeless., druggies and alcoholics, for example, are stereotypical homeless, who could have been on the right path, but always got "caught up" with drugs and/or alcohol.

Almost forgot -- yeah, I have a job.

After that night, I didn't take them in my home. Besides, they didn't have identification or anything. Also, there are other places I believe they can come to.