Ypsilanti youth shelter Ozone House is going into the 2025 fiscal year with a rocky start after failing to acquire federal funding provided by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.
The Ozone House is currently looking towards alternative means of securing the quarter of a million dollars they would’ve received for its Transitional Living Program.
Community Outreach Associate Amtheyst Floyd says the shelter is pooling resources with other organizations and seeking fundraising opportunities. He says federal grants for homeless and runaway youth continue to be underfunded.
“A lot of organizations that have been relying on it for decades, no longer have that funding. It really comes down to not enough resources, and there’s a lot of that organizations turned out.”
Floyd adds he wants to ensure the local community that the Ozone House isn’t going anywhere. However, cuts to programs and a reduction in the amount of people they can shelter might have to be made until they can apply for funding again next year.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
