Bill to Expand Shelter Access For Youth Passes Committee

SB 20-106 aims to remove barriers for youth seeking shelter & services

Denver, CO – The Senate Local Government committee advanced crucial legislation yesterday to help Colorado's unhoused youth. This bill allows youth 15 or older to consent to receiving shelter and services without guardian or parental consent.

"Young people in Colorado who don't have safe or reliable housing are currently forced to sleep on the streets," said sponsor Sen. Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins). "This bill removes unnecessary burdens for youth in crisis to be able to access short-term shelter and services." 

From children who age out of foster care to those seeking respite from unhealthy living situations, hundreds of youth under 18 are without a bed or shelter on any given night in Colorado. Nearly 40 percent of homeless youth are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Young homeless people are at greater risk of developing substance abuse and mental health problems as well as physical abuse, sexual exploitation and running into problems with the criminal justice system.

But what’s even more tragic is that under current law, support services and charities are not permitted to shelter these desperate kids due to their age and inability to legally consent. The bill encompasses access to "child welfare services," including but not limited to: services that address abuse, neglect, and youth-in-conflict issues for runaway, homeless and unaccompanied youth.

By allowing children under the age of 18 to consent to be sheltered, we will be giving a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable and at-risk kids in our state. Meeting them in a time of need and intervening at a critical moment could literally alter the course of their life.