Homeless Youths Receive Support From Governor Patrick, Miley Cyrus

Massachusetts is taking a page out of Miley Cyrus’ book: The Commonwealth is working to help improve the lives of homeless youths.

Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill into law on Tuesday that will provide housing and support for homeless youths in Massachusetts.

There are nearly 6,000 unaccompanied homeless youths in Massachusetts, the Special Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth study reported.

An “unaccompanied homeless youth” is considered a person 24 years of age or younger who does not a have a fixed place to sleep at night and who is not under the custody or care of a parent or legal guardian, according to the Unaccompanied Homeless Youth bill.

The bill will work to implement services that will improve the physical, mental and educational outcomes for homeless youth.

About 40 percent of unaccompanied homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, according to a MassEquality press release.

The executive office of health and human services will work to analyze and reduce the barriers that affect the youths who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, according to the bill.

Much like the commonwealth of Massachusetts, Miley Cyrus has campaigned to support homeless youth. At the MTV Video Music Awards in August, a 22-year-old homeless man named Jesse Helt accept Cyrus’ award for Video of the Year to promote her fundraising campaign for My Friend’s Place, an organization that helps homeless youths. My Friend’s Place assists youths in finding housing, employment, health care and schooling.

Cyrus’ Facebook page announced it raised $200,000 in donations for the organization just one day after the VMAs, Business Insider reported.

Due to her pilanthopic endeavors with homeless youth, Cyrus was voted the fourth most charitable celebrity according to DoSomething.org “Celebs Gone Good” list.

Photo Credit: The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless Twitter page, @MAHomeless