Local nonprofit Just in Time just in Time for Foster Youth (JIT), whose mission is to engage a caring community to help transition-age foster youth achieve self-sufficiency and well-being, has been awarded a $250,000 Community Investment Grant from SDG&E.
This grant comes from SDG&E’s Community Assistance Fund, a $10-million shareholder-funded grant program that provides local nonprofit organizations with transformational support.
SDG&E’s $250,000 investment will enhance JIT’s long-established service to transition-age foster youth, offering rent and utility assistance, food cards, mental wellness counseling, financial coaching, and most importantly, an empowering community of connections to see them thrive throughout their lives.
Over 1 in 4 (29%) former foster youth report being homeless for ages 19-21 and 20% of foster youth will become homeless the day they age out. These are nationally averaged statistics; the odds are much worse in the context of San Diego’s housing crisis. According to studies updated in March 2023 from Rent Café, the cost of housing in San Diego is 123% higher than the national average, and the San Diego metro area ranks second most expensive place to live comfortably in the country, more expensive than New York and Los Angeles.
Droves of current and former foster youth are “couch surfing”, living in their cars, or camping on the streets, and even more are living on the brink of homelessness month after month. With the support from this grant, Just in Time can work to combat this issue, creating a system of support for foster youth and enabling them to be confident, capable, and connected as they transition out of the system.
Visit www.jitfosteryouth.org.
