With more and more parents due to financial difficulty or just throwing in the towel when it comes to razing their Teens/Young Adults, to many Youth are ending up on the streets, falling in to the wrong crowd, doing jail time, or even dead.
The fact that there is not adequate housing for these Teens/Young Adults is becoming an over whelming burden in communities all over the US. With their “AGE” being the major factor of why they cannot find housing. I would think it is bad enough, that someone under the age of 18 cannot handle a knife while working in a restaurant (Due to cutting off a finger), yet in the same breath, say that they can work with HOT OIL (3rd degree burns, face and hands). It is a joke what the youth of our country have to put up with. Can’t get a car without a job, can’t get a job without a car. “You must have references and job experience,” How can you acquire these things, if no one gives it to you?
Furthermore, some of these youth have children of their own, and now they need affordable housing and daycare. Others need to finish their HS diploma, GED or are in college classes.
So I feel it is time for change, we must accommodate our youth with affordable “Youth Housing” just as the elderly have. Young and old need help for the same reasons. Fewer resources are available to them! Moreover, just as “Elderly Communities” are comprised with an age limits, so should “Youth Housing.” On average an elderly community is 65 yrs of age and up, so should the youth housing, with 24 yrs old or younger. I came to this cut off age because, no one really takes one seriously until about 25 yrs old. This change must come soon, for they won’t survive without the support of their community! It was once said that “It takes a village to raise a child,” while, we are that village, and they need us “Now” not later!
In considering the design for “Youth Housing,” it would be a plus if we also accommodated some of their needs as teen/young adult. What are some of their needs is the question, and how can we accommodate them?
Let us review this;
A support person (Manager and Assessment Manager; must have social worker or psychology schooling background w/no priors, and age is not an issue for the younger and more successful you are the more the young will listen))
Childcare is needed, so they can obtain a job, start (college) or finish school (HS Diploma or GED).
Help with their education or job search/or online job via the computer-lab/library (Tenants will be issued an ID swipe card for going in the computer-lab/library, and online (to help eliminate Internet abuse).
Everyone needs to do laundry and young families need it the most (one full-sized laundry and two mini-washroom/laundry-room to cut down traffic in any one room).
Time off well spent, playground, gardening zone, study hall/(computer lab) and recreation room.
As for staying fit, it would be a plus (with obesity and diabetes at an all time high in the US) to include a weight room, as well as to bring up self-esteem.
Looking at demographics of the structures design:
Envisioning, an oval shaped structure, with a gated courtyard in the inner axis, where units are to be assessable.
On the main floor, you will find;
Main Managers office
Two daycare's; situated across from each other, to be located at narrow ends of the oval structure (one for 0 to 2 yrs old, the other is for 3 to 5 yr old).
Computer-lab/library
Laundry-mat.
As well as three playgrounds [In the courtyard one located in the center (basketball court and handball wall court) and one on each end (One geared to girls and one geared more for boys) to be separated by mini fruit trees and park/razed food garden],
Recreation-room
Weight-room.
Note: It is to be no more then three stories, including main floor.
The upper two floors;
Will have one mini-washroom/laundry-room
The rest to be rental units
With the exception of one unit on the top floor for the Assistant Manager (to be located on the opposite side of the ovals in relation to the Managers Office).
In closing, I would like to reiterate the need for “Youth Hosing,” in our communities as much as we need “Elderly Housing.”
I hope this helps, guys and gal of the younger persuasion! Lord knows things are tough all over.
No comments:
Post a Comment