After decades of shame and hurt, the head of a major South Bay homeless shelter group is now speaking up about her own experience with homelessness during her teenage years. On this edition of KCBS In Depth, we discuss what she wants more people to understand about what it means to be homeless. Then in the second half of the program, we hear from a leading advocate for homeless youth in California about how the past year of pandemic disruptions have made the lives of the young and unhoused even more precarious. 

Guests: 
Andrea Urton, CEO, HomeFirst Services
Jevon Wilkes, executive director, California Coalition for Youth

Host:Keith Menconi 

After decades of shame and hurt, the head of a major South Bay homeless shelter group is now speaking up about her own experience with homelessness during her teenage years. On this edition of KCBS In Depth, we discuss what she wants more people to understand about what it means to be homeless. Then in the second half of the program, we hear from a leading advocate for homeless youth in California about how the past year of pandemic disruptions have made the lives of the young and unhoused even more precarious.&nbsp;
Guests:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Andrea Urton, CEO, HomeFirst Services</li>
<li>Jevon Wilkes, executive director, California Coalition for Youth</li>
</ul>
Host: Keith Menconi&nbsp;

KCBS Radio In Depth

The Long Shadow of Youth Homelessness

Last week, KCBS Radio looked at the state of the environment. We touched on how cities are responding to the rising tides and the extreme effects of climate change. We looked at the change in how we get around the Bay Area - EVs, bikes, and more - and how young people are stepping up to take on climate justice.

And we found out that one of the Bay Area’s most beloved places - the San Francisco Zoo - is focused on all the environmental changes that the world is undergoing as well.

We heard the first part of the Conservation Conversation on the last week's In Depth. Now we have the conclusion of that conversation, with KCBS’s Eric Thomas and Nikki Meduro speaking with Eric Kruzmen, vice president of wellness and conservation at the San Francisco Zoo. They are also joined by Shelby Hasbun, manager of environmental services at the zoo.

Last week, KCBS Radio looked at the state of the environment. We touched on how cities are responding to the rising tides and the extreme effects of climate change. We looked at the change in how we get around the Bay Area - EVs, bikes, and more - and how young people are stepping up to take on climate justice.
And we found out that one of the Bay Area’s most beloved places - the San Francisco Zoo - is focused on all the environmental changes that the world is undergoing as well.
We heard the first part of the Conservation Conversation on the last week's In Depth. Now we have the conclusion of that conversation, with KCBS’s Eric Thomas and Nikki Meduro speaking with Eric Kruzmen, vice president of wellness and conservation at the San Francisco Zoo. They are also joined by Shelby Hasbun, manager of environmental services at the zoo.

A Conservation Conversation, Part Two: Environmental work at the San Francisco Zoo and what the future holds

KCBS Radio has been taking a closer look at the state of the environment in the Bay Area - from extreme weather and rising sea levels to what people are doing to try and make the world around us better.

But how is the San Francisco Zoo faring with all these environmental changes? What are their conservation efforts looking like these days? And is the San Francisco Zoo ready for when pandas from China arrive?

To answer these questions, KCBS’s Eric Thomas and Nikki Meduro took their mics to the San Francisco Zoo and spoke with Eric Kruzmen, vice president of wellness and conservation at the zoo.

This is part one of a Conservation Conversation.

KCBS Radio has been taking a closer look at the state of the environment in the Bay Area - from extreme weather and rising sea levels to what people are doing to try and make the world around us better.
But how is the San Francisco Zoo faring with all these environmental changes? What are their conservation efforts looking like these days? And is the San Francisco Zoo ready for when pandas from China arrive?
To answer these questions, KCBS’s Eric Thomas and Nikki Meduro took their mics to the San Francisco Zoo and spoke with Eric Kruzmen, vice president of wellness and conservation at the zoo.
This is part one of a Conservation Conversation.

A Conservation Conversation, Part One: What is the state of the San Francisco Zoo?

The housing crisis is widespread in California and it has become especially dire for college students, as rents go ever higher and competition increases for whatever apartments are available.

A 2022 UCLA survey found that student homelessness ranges from anywhere 5 to 20% across California’s colleges and universities, meaning that potentially hundreds of thousands of students are unhoused.

So, what’s being done to solve this problem?

We’ll start our conversation with Zennon Ulyate-Crow, third year student at UC Santa Cruz and founder and co-chair of the Student Homes Coalition - a student-led collective of higher education advocacy organizations and youth activists fighting for abundant, accessible, and affordable student housing.

And then we'll turn to Su-Jin Jez, CEO of California Competes, a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on identifying solutions to the state’s challenges at the intersection of higher education, equity, and the economy. 

The housing crisis is widespread in California and it has become especially dire for college students, as rents go ever higher and competition increases for whatever apartments are available.
A 2022 UCLA survey found that student homelessness ranges from anywhere 5 to 20% across California’s colleges and universities, meaning that potentially hundreds of thousands of students are unhoused.
So, what’s being done to solve this problem?
We’ll start our conversation with Zennon Ulyate-Crow, third year student at UC Santa Cruz and founder and co-chair of the Student Homes Coalition - a student-led collective of higher education advocacy organizations and youth activists fighting for abundant, accessible, and affordable student housing.
And then we'll turn to Su-Jin Jez, CEO of California Competes, a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on identifying solutions to the state’s challenges at the intersection of higher education, equity, and the economy.

The Long Shadow of Youth Homelessness

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