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Youth Emergency Shelter representative urges Hubbard County commissioners to open lines of communication on homeless youth
Summary
Corey Nelson of Youth Emergency Shelter and Supports asked the Hubbard County Board during public input to engage with grassroots providers, cite early local data and help convene community partners to address youth homelessness; YES reported 18 youth used its drop-in services since opening November 18.
Corey Nelson, representing Youth Emergency Shelter and Supports (YES), told the Hubbard County Board of Commissioners at the board's public-input period that YES is asking county leaders to open an ongoing line of communication with grassroots providers working with at‑risk and homeless youth.
Nelson said YES is not seeking county funding at this time but wants commissioners to “take an interest in grassroots organizations like YES, Family Safety Network, Support Within Reach,” and to convene other community leaders so agencies “are sitting at the table with us and not across the room.” Nelson added that the program is collecting local data through a drop‑in outreach program and has had 18 youth use the drop‑in since it opened on Nov. 18.
The request followed comments from a youth who said the drop‑in “helps me find a safe place to go after school while I'm waiting for my parents to pick me up.” The youth speaker identified themself as Travis Heather Commons and described personal experience with foster care and trauma and said YES has provided a reliable, safe space.
Why it matters: Commissioners and local service providers said they lack consistent, county‑level data on youth homelessness — a recurring obstacle for planning and grants. Nelson said some partner agencies have not responded to outreach, and that YES has had to rely on word‑of‑mouth referrals and a small number of agency transfers. Nelson said the group is seeking a permanent drop‑in site of about 5,000 square feet and noted a facility condition assessment and landlord conversations are underway but that several grants require a building blueprint before application.
Supporters and some commissioners said they would be willing to facilitate meetings with schools, law enforcement and human services; others urged YES to provide written records of outreach and to pursue formal data collection partners. The board did not take formal action during the public‑comment period.
The exchange included questions from commissioners about site selection, partnerships with local entities that serve homeless youth, and whether YES has approached social services; Nelson said the program has attempted communication with human services and several school districts and can provide email records documenting those attempts.
Nelson said YES will attend Coffee Talks next Tuesday at Northwoods Bank and will be at “Homeless Day on the Hill” in the coming week to discuss youth issues with legislators.
Ending: Nelson said YES is continuing to gather local data via its drop‑in and outreach work and asked county leaders to help convene meetings and share information that would allow the program to expand services without duplicating existing efforts.
