UNITY is reaching out to area organizations to ask for help in assessing the extent of youth in unstable living environments in Greater New Orleans. This is a hidden population due to the culture of our communities, which often open their homes on a temporary basis when family or friends are struggling with housing. However, without an accurate understanding of the number of youth in unstable living situations and the challenges they face, our ability to garner federal funding to support this vulnerable population is severely limited.
To address this knowledge gap, UNITY has partnered with the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies (IWES) to conduct a housing needs assessment of youth aged 13-25 in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. In one month, we have a goal to have 1,500 youth complete the online survey. UNITY is seeking assistance from area organizations to spread the word about the survey and the $20 gift card youth will receive for participating in the survey.
Organizations can assist by posting the attached flyer around your office or place copies for youth to take with them when they leave. If possible in your current COVID reality, please help us remove barriers to participating by providing a computer, tablet, phone, or wifi access to allow youth to take the survey on-site at your office. We can deliver gift cards to you if you’re able to create space for survey completion at your organization. If you’re not able to help in that way, you can help by posting the flyer and survey link on your social media pages, sharing this information with your partner organizations, and emailing the flyer and link (tinyurl.com/t5kpa3jh) to your listserv and clients. (If you have foot traffic at your organization, we can drop off flyers to you!)
We sincerely hope you’ll help us get the word out because the data collected will be used to apply for a HUD grant that will bring MILLIONS of dollars for youth service providers into the metro EVERY year in perpetuity. All of us know the community needs these dollars. This survey will help us show HUD the true extent of housing instability in the metro area.
We appreciate your help and support! If you have any questions about how you can be involved or would be willing to distribute gift cards as youth complete surveys on-site at your organization, please contact:
C.B. Weinreb, UNITY Youth Coordinator, cbweinreb@unitygno.org
Kim Mosby, PhD, Director of Programs at the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies 504-559-7712