The HOMY Collective: Helping Our Miami-Dade Youth and staff from Miami Homes For All, partner agencies and community volunteers, will conduct the annual iCount Miami online housing survey from Friday, January 22 through Monday, January 31. For the eighth year, the housing survey will identify youth and young adults, ages 13-24, experiencing homelessness or housing instability across Miami-Dade County.
"Each year, our work in retrieving an accurate count of youth facing housing instability is critical to helping us know where to focus our efforts," stated Annie Lord, Executive Director of Miami Homes For All. "Due to the unprecedented events brought on by COVID-19 last year, our work this year is even more imperative to identify youth who are facing severe housing instability and homelessness.”
The week-long housing survey is anonymous and quickly accessible online at icountmiami.com. Individuals ages 13 to 24, can also take the survey by calling 2-1-1 or texting "iCount Miami" to 898211 if they are on their own and are experiencing housing struggles.
"Being a part of this year’s iCount gives Miami Bridge the opportunity to be on the frontline of combating the war on homelessness," expressed Kanisha Williams, MSW, Department of Health and Human Services Program Director of Miami Bridge Youth & Family Services, Inc. "Historically, minors have struggled securing safe and appropriate housing on their own, so there is no greater feeling than being able to assist a young person transition into stable housing and watching them flourish into the best version of themselves."
The iCount Miami survey initiative is made possible by partners and sponsors like Miami Homes For All and Miami Bridge Youth & Family Services, Miami-Dade County's only emergency home serving unaccompanied minors, ages 10 to 17. Fellow sponsors include The Children’s Trust, Camillus House, Citrus Family Care Network, Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Project UP-START, Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, Publix, Pridelines, The University of Miami and other local partner agencies that provide young people with housing, education, employment, health, and other supportive services.
Click here to see the full list of youth access points, as well as iCount Miami community partners and sponsors.
About Miami Homes For All
Since 1985, Miami Homes For All has worked to end and prevent homelessness in Miami-Dade County. We believe that everyone in Miami deserves to lead a dignified, healthy, and vibrant life. That includes everyone from those struggling to make ends meet to those experiencing homelessness. Armed with the best research available, and convinced that together we can accomplish more, we collaborate with people across the entire spectrum of our community to identify the best ideas and to turn our vision into reality: a Miami where everyone has a safe and stable home. For more information, visit www.miamihomesforall.org.
About Miami Bridge Youth & Family Services, Inc.
Miami Bridge serves as Miami-Dade County’s only 24-hour emergency shelter for children and teens in crisis ages 10-17. For more than three decades, the non-profit organization has worked to rescue youth in the community from lives of victimization and crime by providing refuge, protection and specialized care in a nurturing, stable environment. Annually, Miami Bridge shelters more than 600 children and teens, providing over 10,000 care days for those individuals, as well as counseling to more than 550 families with children ages 6-17. For additional information, please visit www.miamibridge.org.
About The HOMY Collective: Helping Our Miami-Dade Youth
The HOMY Collective is a collective impact effort of 100 agencies working together to address youth homelessness by strategizing around stable housing, education and employment; well-being; and permanent connections. Their vision is that youth homelessness in Miami-Dade County will be a rare occurrence, and when it does occur, it will be a brief and one-time experience. Miami-Dade County is committed to ensuring that every youth experiencing homelessness has access to immediate shelter and that no youth spends a single night on the streets, in a car, or any location not meant for human habitation. Our community is committed to equal access and equitable outcomes for youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and youth with disabilities.
