Lake Forest Park adopts Homeless Youth Resolution

For the last two years, the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park has sponsored the Homeless Youth Project, dedicated to finding ways to address the needs of homeless youth in our community, focusing specifically on homeless high school students in the Shoreline School District.

After meeting with County officials, local Service Providers, and School District representatives, the LFP Rotary Homeless Youth Project is working to bring the problem to the attention of the Lake Forest Park and Shoreline City councils in order develop support for assisting this growing, yet under-served population within our communities.

On September 26, 2019, the Lake Forest Park City Council unanimously voted to adopt Resolution 1743, “Confirming support for the establishment of a comprehensive homeless youth resource center serving Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, Washington.” (Attached)

This is a major step forward in our community’s recognition of the issue and a new approach to working on this problem.

The Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park will continue to support and advocate for our homeless students, and with the help of existing Youth Service providers and our community leaders in both LFP and Shoreline, we hope to expand services, assist these under-served students complete their education, and break the cycle of homelessness.

For more information, contact the Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park or George Piano at pianosr@aol.com

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RESOLUTION 1743

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE

FOREST PARK, WASHINGTON, CONFIRMING SUPPORT FOR

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE HOMELESS

YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER SERVING LAKE FOREST PARK

AND SHORELINE, WASHINGTON

__________________________________________________

WHEREAS, the lack of housing or housing instability - homelessness - is a major problem for our nation, state and King County; and

WHEREAS, homelessness almost always has profound negative consequences for an individual’s mental and physical health, and economic prospects; and

WHEREAS, the effects of homelessness can be especially damaging for youth, including incomplete educational accomplishment, life-long mental health conditions and economic disadvantage; and

WHEREAS, 40,000 Washington public school students were identified as homeless during the 2016-17 school year, and

WHEREAS, the Shoreline School District student population includes, on average, several hundred homeless students, about 100 of whom are high school students; and

WHEREAS, while there are shelters, emergency housing, counseling, medical referral and other resources for homeless adults and many families in north King County, there are extremely limited resources available for north county homeless youth, especially those living outside a family context; and

WHEREAS, the Lake Forest Park Rotary Club, through its Homeless

Youth Project, has for several years provided monetary and material assistance to
homeless youth via the Shoreline School District and social service agencies, and

WHEREAS, the LFP Rotary Homeless Youth Project is advocating among service clubs,

homeless youth service providers and local governments for the establishment of a
comprehensive homeless youth resource center serving Lake Forest Park and Shoreline;
and

WHEREAS, there are positive indications of willingness of homeless youth service providers in other areas of King County, to extend those services to north King County; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Lake Forest Park, as follows:

Section 1. Confirmation. The City Council of the City of Lake Forest Park confirms its strong support for the establishment of a homeless youth resource center providing comprehensive services to youth in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, Washington.

Section 2. Corrections. The City Clerk is authorized to make necessary corrections to this resolution including, but not limited to, the correction of scrivener’s/clerical errors, references, ordinance numbering, section/subsection numbers and any references thereto.

PASSED BY A MAJORITY VOTE of the members of the Lake Forest Park City Council this 26th day of September 2019.