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LAYTON — There are approximately 1,500 children who experience some kind of housing insecurity in the Davis School District. A new center to house homeless teens in the district is now complete to help some of the 300 that are high school age.
The new center takes a unique approach to take on the problem at a district level. The Davis Education Foundation, which started on the new solution two years ago, is behind the fundraising and Thursday's ribbon cutting.
Now that the facility is ready, a company called Switchpoint takes over. It runs a number of residential facilities for those experiencing homelessness, veterans and those with mental health needs.
Switchpoint officials will be deciding which 16 teens will get housing help with an assist from school counselors. The center will have a goal of helping students to graduate from high school and helping them learn self-reliance.
For those involved, the opening is more than a simple ceremony; it's the start of a new approach to helping teens in Utah. Jodi Lunt, the director of the Davis Education Foundation, said that teen resource centers were already offering after-school help.
"The conception of the teen center started with one of our incredible donors and partners in this area who said, 'Where are these young people sleeping?'" Lunt said.
It became apparent that the Davis School District could try to help in a bigger way.
"A place where they could have their food insecurity met, their physical needs met, and then assistance and wraparound service to help them succeed and achieve all of the dreams and goals that they might have," Lunt said.
It might have seemed like a big ask, but immediately, people started donating. Thousand of individuals, businesses and organizations, along with state and federal funding, combined to create the 16-bed facility.
Carol Hollowell is the CEO of Switchpoint, the company running the Teen Living Center.
"The absolute end goal is to get these kids to graduate," Hollowell said. "You know, education is the first step in trying to solve homelessness and poverty."
There are strict rules to stay at the Teen Living Center.
"Be attending school at least 90% of the time, passing grades, doing something extra 20 hours a week — some kind of activity that could be sports; it could be working," Hollowell said.
Students will have private rooms and will learn to cook and do their own laundry — all to support the goals of graduation and self-sufficiency as adults.
"We're excited. Today is an incredible capstone day," Lunt said.
Switchpoint is looking over referrals from school counselors for students who could use the help. The facility will be able to start welcoming residents as soon as next week.
There are now eight teen centers helping students within the Davis School District, with a ninth on the way. The newest one is the only residential center. It will serve high school-age teens district-wide.
"I think that it will feel good," Hollowell said. "It will feel safe. It's going to feel secure to where, you know, kids who have been on the street or bouncing around from couch to couch will actually feel like that pressure is off, and 'I can really concentrate on the things that I need to do.'"
