Casa Ruby is closed. What happens to homeless youth now?
Imagine being 17 years old without a parent or guardian or a permanent place to call home when housing costs are soaring, and high inflation is driving up the cost of food and other necessities.
When well-educated, financially stable Washingtonians are tightening their financial belts because of the uncertainty, it is a frightening time to be trying to figure things out on the District’s streets.
There are more than 1,300 youth experiencing homelessness in the District. And young people of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+ are disproportionately represented.
Casa Ruby’s closure in July put these District youth at more risk of hate crimes, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Their displacement has made them more vulnerable to drug use and sex work to get by.
