Outcomes
The benefits of social service safety nets such as Bill Wilson Center are numerous. Bill Wilson Center services not only address the various needs of individuals in our community, they also equate to long-term economic savings at the State and County level.
Below are a few highlights from our 2009-2010 fiscal year showing the deeper impact of Bill Wilson Center services.
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Bill Wilson Center Youth Shelter
- 403 youth were helped at our Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter.
- 87% of these youth were successfully reunited with their parents.
- For those who avoid being placed in the Santa Clara County (SCC) juvenile justice system, there’s an estimated annualized savings of $41,400-55,000 per youth.
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Transitional Housing Program (THP)
- 142 homeless youth, many formerly in the foster care system, received housing a range of services leading to self-sufficiency.
- Nationally, less than 10% of foster youth enroll in college.
- At Bill Wilson Center, 65% of youth in our THP program are in college, making them more desirable to employers as well as better able to secure a well paying job.
- The average annual income for a high school graduate is $30,400, while the median for college graduates is $52,200. (US Census Bureau)
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Restorative Justice Program
- 63 first time offenders between the ages of 12 and 18 were provided an alternative to incarceration.
- Average cost to incarcerate a youth for one year: $41,400-55,000 (about $175 per day).
- It’s estimated that society would save between $1.7 million to $2.3 million per youth by preventing them from adopting a life of crime.
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Drop-In Center
- 851 homeless youth turned to our Drop-In Center for help.
- 759 of these youth were linked to emergency shelter or alternative safe housing.
- Youth and young adults who experience homelessness are disproportionately likely to be arrested and incarcerated as adults, costing California taxpayers over $50,000 per inmate annually.
