Young people face the highest barriers to becoming homeowners, so young people should have a say in solving the affordable homeownership crisis. That’s the philosophy behind the Youth Empowered Affordable Housing (YEAH) Summit, happening April 21 and 22 at the University Business Center at Fresno State.
Organizers of the YEAH Summit are inviting university students and high school seniors from cities, communities, colleges, schools, youth groups, churches and other organizations from throughout the Valley, California and other states to participate. Students, instructors and youth leaders who are interested in attending the summit can preregister on the Youth Voice Impact Inc. website.
A joint project of the Gazarian Real Estate Center at the Craig School of Businesses and the nonprofit organization Youth Voice Impact Inc., the YEAH Summit will gather university students and high school seniors from throughout the San Joaquin Valley and beyond to discuss how to create and implement sustainable solutions to provide affordable housing.
“Right now 75% of Americans want to be homeowners, but only 25% of Americans can afford it,” said Yasmine Creese Brown, executive director of Youth Voice Impact Inc. “If you put four people in a room, only one of them can have the American dream. That’s not a dream. That’s a nightmare.”
George Starbuck, founder and CEO of Youth Voice Impact Inc., said that young people have a responsibility to find their own solutions to affordable homeownership.
“When the older generation loses sight of its generational responsibilities, it is the responsibility of the next generation to remind them of what their responsibilities are, and help lead them back in the right direction,” Starbuck said. “The young generation is going to inherit the housing problem we’ve created. Young people deserve a voice at the table. The purpose of the summit is to harness the energy, intelligence and knowledge of youth to find creative solutions to serious problems.”
The two-day event will begin with group briefings on housing issues, followed by breakout sessions for brainstorming solutions. Government leaders, city planners and community leaders are invited to attend the YEAH Summit to observe, listen and pay attention to the ideas of young people.
A video describing the goals of the summit is available on YouTube.
