Youth Count

There is a noticeable dearth of national and local data on the number, patterns and characteristics of homeless youth. Communities across the country can move towards improving data on youth homelessness by conducting comprehensive targeted youth counts. Improved data will help communities size the scope of the problem to better target interventions to solve the problem of youth homelessness.

To improve data on homeless youth HUD should make a concerted effort to better include youth ages 18-24 years old into its bi-annual Point-In-Time Counts. Furthermore, all programs serving homeless youth should input data into HMIS to be able to better understand the number, patterns, and characteristics of homeless youth in their community.

View Homeless Youth Count in a larger map

The map is for educational purposes to indicate which communities have done targeted youth counts, along with their results and methodology; and to illustrate the lack of national data that is had on homeless youth. the Alliance is not making a statement of endorsement or accuracy by posting findings and links to reports of communities that have done counts and/or surveys of youth that are homeless.

Spotlight

Webinar | October 25, 2012
The National Alliance to End Homelessness partnered with Applied Survey Research (ASR) to provide information about the discrete steps necessary to implement a successful youth targeted point-in-time count. This webinar focuses on counting youth experiencing homelessness, the importance of developing key partnerships, planning, the overall process, and considerations needed to effectively count youth in rural communities.
Webinar | October 4, 2012
This webinar focuses on strategies used by three communities – Washington, DC, San Jose, CA, and southern Nevada – to assess the prevalence of youth homelessness. The webinar provides guidance on how youth providers, advocates, and others can partner with Continuums of Care (CoCs) to ensure a successful youth-inclusive Point-In-Time (PIT) count in 2013. Speakers stress the importance of conducting an accurate PIT count to promote social policies that will end youth homelessness. Speakers also discuss how to involve youth in planning and implementing the PIT count.
Solutions Brief | September 6, 2012
Many stakeholders in your community are committed to ending youth homelessness and are willing to participate in the planning and implementation of the PIT Count. This brief identifies key partnerships to develop to ensure that your community's Point-In-Time (PIT) Count successfully includes youth and youth stakeholders.
Solutions Brief | February 28, 2012
The City of San Jose in Santa Clara County CA, in partnership with nonprofit homeless research specialist Applied Survey Research (ASR), has adopted specialized strategies to include youth in its biennial Point-In-Time (PIT) count of homeless people.
Solutions Brief | January 26, 2012
Having an accurate count of homeless youth helps a community to understand the scope of the problem and to design solutions. The District of Columbia Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) is leading the effort to deepen understanding about the prevalence and needs of homeless youth in Washington, DC.

Library Resources

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Fact Sheets | September 7, 2012
This resource describes the "point-in-time counts" - the regular count of people experiencing homelessness. The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities to submit these counts as part of their application for federal homeless assistance funds.
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Webinar | November 29, 2010
This webinar is the second in a series providing strategies and tips for including youth in your community's HUD-mandated January 2011 point-in-time count. This webinar is designed for both all Continuum of Care and youth-specific providers in communities who have either never made a targeted effort to count youth or who wish to improve the accuracy of their count in January 2011.
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Webinar | November 4, 2010
This webinar, the first in a series from the Alliance and the National Network for Youth, will feature tips for including youth in your community's point-in-time count.
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Toolkits | October 20, 2010
The Alliance and the National Network for Youth recommend that communities fully include homeless youth in their local January 2011 Point in Time (PIT) counts by using the strategies in this brief.