Our residents advocate for themselves at the Capitol

Deidre Hemm, External Communications Coordinator

In partnership with The Coalition for the Homeless, Pathways HOME facilitates the Youth Action Board (YAB), a group of formerly homeless young adults dedicated to helping young individuals experiencing homelessness. Last week, members of YAB and kids from our Residential program went to the Capitol to speak with State Representatives about two bills that address issues young adults face today.

The first bill addressed was HB 197 (ID Bill), which will:

• lower the cost of an ID for those experiencing homelessness to $5
• allow 16 and 17-year-olds to get an ID without parental consent
• allow Kentuckians temporarily experiencing homelessness to renew their driver’s license with a two-year phase-in period

The second bill, HB 31 (The CROWN Act), protects Kentuckians from being denied educational and employment opportunities because of their hair texture or style.

YAB spent weeks researching and preparing statements for State Representatives. Resident Counselors worked with one of our residents to prepare for when she spoke to Senator Wilson about her struggles in foster care and accessing an ID.

Once the session was over, our YAB members and residents learned more about our political system and other ways to get involved with our local government. We love supporting our clients in advocating for themselves and causes that are important to them!