Hello Councilmembers and the Youth Advisory Commission, my name is Kimberly Woo. I am a student at UC Berkeley working with the Oakland Youth Commission. Thank you for holding a hearing on unhoused youth today. I would like to express my passionate support for the task force's recommendation to address and help support youth experiencing homelessness. Not only is there a disparity for resources between adult and youth experiencing homelessness, but we also see a racial disparity that is often perpetuated by institutional racism that fails to recognize how white supremacy can harm individuals in different ways based on the intersections of their identities. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated physical, mental, and financial struggles, which has introduced and worsened housing instability for disproportionately impacted Black, brown, and LGBTQ transition-aged youth (TAY). We must support our youth because youth experiencing homelessness today shapes a future for adults experiencing homelessness tomorrow. This task force recommends to address structural and systemic barriers through early intervention for "high-risk youth" (beyond the "homeless" definition that HUD provides) and housing stabilization to ensure a coordinated and individualized approach that accounts for the youth's access to healthcare, education, and employment. Thank you for your time and I hope you incorporate this task force's recommendations.

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