Surge of Teen Runaways in Salt Lake City
Homeless teenager Bradley showed CBS News correspondent Seth Doane his "squat" where he sometimes sleeps. The squat is fiercely protected, and hidden from view. It's hardly his, but it's all that he has.
"I did run away from my parents' house," Bradley said. "But that's only because they were mentally and physically abusive."
More than 1.5 million teenagers run away or are kicked out of their homes every year. They flee one set of problems - and find others.
Volunteers of America, Utah
National Runaway Switchboard
Safe Place
"We need jobs, we need ways to earn money," Bradley said. "We need to have a house or an apartment or a solid place to call home."
"You don't have that now," asked Doane.
"None of us do," Bradley replied. "None of us do."
By "us" he means teenagers bound by hard luck and homelessness. Many are runaways.
Their Salt Lake City refuge is run by "Volunteers of America, Utah."
Over the last two years, "Volunteers of America, Utah" has seen the number of youths they serve double from around 400 a year - to more than 850. And they say the timing during the recession is no coincidence.
Zachery Bale, director of homeless outreach efforts, said: "We've seen more recently - as some of these economic forces kicked up and kids being kicked out or leaving because of financial distress in the family."
Shawn Gonzales lost his $20-an-hour computer job three months ago, then wound up on the street. He left home two years ago. He says his dad worked four jobs, and at just 17 years old, Shawn was helping to pay the mortgage.
"As the oldest I had to be 'mister example," Gonzales said. "I just couldn't do it anymore." But now, without work - he's stuck.
"It's lot tougher than I thought it was going to be," Gonzales said.
"How much have you been looking," Doane asked.
"Every day," he replied.
With few alternatives, callers to the National Runaway Switchboard report that they're turning to panhandling, prostitution, selling drugs, and stealing in order to survive.
Eighteen-year-old Zach, who's a runaway too, depends on the drop in center.
Zach said, "I used to steal from stores and stuff, but that ended up getting out of hand."
The center itself needs a little help. Last year they stayed open late. But now, there's only enough funding to stay open until 6pm.
These teens are on the streets for different reasons, but all share the same reality. The recession just made it worse.
