LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Homelessness is a problem everywhere, but Nevada specifically sees more children living on the streets than most states across the United States.

“You feel alone, you’re defeated,” Nariya Gregory said of homelessness. “You’re broken down.”

Gregory spoke with 8 News Now Thursday about what she called the toughest time in her life when she lived on the streets of Las Vegas at just 12 years old.

“It’s like you’re constantly in survival mode,” she explained. “What are you gonna do next.”

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She said it took years to turn things around, as she spoke about her experience fearing for her future.

“You would never think that your life would possibly be like the way it is,” Gregory said. “When you’re homeless.”

Unfortunately, her story is far from unique in Southern Nevada.

Nevada has one of the highest rates of homeless youth in the country, with the number of young people living on the street increasing by 10% last year.

“Often they slip through the cracks of our system,” Arash Ghafoori, CEO of Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth said. “And we don’t have enough shelters and beds to accommodate them compared to other communities.”

According to recent statistics, Southern Nevada’s youth shelters only provide enough beds for 20% of those who need them.

Ghafoori told 8 News Now his organization is doing what it can to make a difference with a new outreach center near Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road.

It offers kids a place to sleep, eat, and wash clothes, along with resources to find permanent housing.

“They can build trust, rapport and relax,” he explained. “Because it’s hard to be homeless out here.”

Gregory said places like this helped her change, so she encourages others in similar situations to take a chance and reach out.

“To know that somebody cared,” she concluded. “And that there are places like this that help people like me.”

Gregory said the people at NPHY also encouraged her to go to school. She is now working on her degree at the College of Southern Nevada.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can find more information on NPHY here.

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