When Greg Ritzinger was in his early 20s, he found himself without permanent housing and unable to fully access public facilities or amenities, while facing other difficulties as a former youth experiencing homelessness, or YEH.
Now, at the age of 29, Ritzinger is a UC Berkeley student and a member of Youth and Allies Against Homelessness, or YAAH, a group committed to ending homelessness. Considered to be an overlooked population, YEH are generally individuals under the age of 26 who are experiencing homelessness.
The COVID-19 pandemic has positioned YEH to be at the greatest risk of being affected by the pandemic, according to a UC Berkeley School of Public Health report titled “On the COVID-19 Front Line and Hurting” that was released last summer. In addition to being a physical health threat, COVID-19 impacts the well-being of YEH by limiting their basic needs of shelter, food and safety.