CHICO, Calif. — This school year, an alarming total of nearly 211,000 students in California are estimated to be homeless, the report presents. California Department of Education. In response, the City of Chico designated November as Homeless Youth Awareness Month, with the goal of drawing attention to the challenges these individuals face and fostering community support.

At Tuesday’s Chico City Council meeting, Mayor Andrew Coolidge announced there are more than 1,600 homeless students enrolled in grades K-12 in Butte County alone. He noted that contributing factors include the impacts of natural disasters and the lack of affordable housing in rural California communities.

THE National Alliance to End Homelessness emphasizes that the issue of homelessness often arises from family conflicts. These struggles can create a domino effect, potentially exposing homeless youth to serious dangers such as sex trafficking and substance abuse.

The city’s proclamation demonstrates its commitment to becoming a leader in supporting those at risk.

“I think it’s a high priority for both the city and the people of Chico to say ‘you know what, how can we help these people?’ These children are not responsible for the situation they are in, they are just in this situation because it happened to them, I think they are our most vulnerable population,” said Chico City Mayor Andrew Coolidge.

Resources for homeless youth in Butte County include the Butte County Office of Education (BCOE) School Connections and Prevention Serviceswho provides mentoring and case management. Furthermore, the 6th Street Youth Center helps youth find resources to escape homelessness, meals, showers and more.

BCOE, 6th St. and the Voices United Youth Advisory Board are hosting a candlelight vigil on Thursday, November 14 at 5 p.m. to recognize local homeless youth. The event is open to the public and will take place at Chico Civic Center, 421, rue Principale in Chico.