"I feel like we did some amazing things over the years," he said. "We served thousands of young people and their families. I feel a sense of pride."
Pologe and others who work with homeless youths in the city said they can't fully explain why the referrals from social services had declined. They said they don't believe there are fewer children who need help or that there is no longer a need for temporary shelters.
"We do know that the kids are out there," said Lipkin. As recently as last fall, children were still being left on a short-term basis at a downtown state office building on Gay Street that had no facilities for bathing and was not operated legally.
