Youth

About 50,000 youth in the U.S. sleep on the street for six months or more. Homeless youth face unique developmental challenges and vulnerability.

Though the Alliance estimates that as many as 50,000 youth sleep on the streets in the United States, the prevalence and extent of youth homelessness is largely unknown. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem is real and growing, but national data is scarce.

A large contributor to youth homelessness is discharge from state institutions. Without a home, family support, or other resources, homeless youth are often locked up because they are without supervision and arrested for “status” offenses, such as running away or breaking curfew. In addition, as youth age out of the foster care system or are released from juvenile detention, they may lack support systems and opportunities for work and housing. In fact, 25 percent of former foster youth nationwide reported that they had been homeless at least one night within two-and-a-half to four years after exiting foster care.

Moreover, the existing homeless assistance system is largely designed for adults. Local nonprofit organizations lack the capacity to offer early intervention and prevention or residential stability to the majority of youth who need it. Shelters, housing projects, and other assistance providers often do not understand the needs of homeless youth and may lack the resources to provide the necessary interventions.

Spotlight

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.
Report  |  October 5, 2011
Annual prevalence estimates for homeless youth in the U.S. have ranged as high as 1.6 million among those aged 13-17 (Ringwalt et al., 1998). In this report, researchers present a history of typologies of homeless youth and also suggest recommendations for further research on this population.

Library Resources

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Best Practice  |  November 15, 2011
New York City is working to prevent and end homelessness for LGBTQ homeless youth. Recognizing that most runaway and homeless LGBTQ youth will return to their family, New York City is funding two community-based organizations to strengthen youth’s connections to families to prevent and rapidly end their homelessness.
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Solutions Brief  |  November 15, 2011
It is commonly estimated that 100,000 children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation each year. In this brief, the Alliance examines the relationship between commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth homelessness.
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Best Practice  |  June 17, 2011
First Place for Youth is a nonprofit organization that serves youth who are preparing to age out of foster care or who have recently aged out of care and are experiencing a housing crisis.
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Webinar  |  December 14, 2010
This webinar offers an overview of Hennepin County's youth goals and implementation.
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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.
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Solutions Brief  |  October 30, 2009
Homeless youth surviving day-to-day on the streets are at constant risk of solicitation and sexual exploitation. Homeless youth are far more likely to be physically and sexually victimized than their peers who are housed, and they are more likely to experience repeated episodes of sexual assaults. This publication reviews the research and practice implications for community-based services.
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Federal Policy Brief  |  August 12, 2009
Access a variety of resources regarding a national youth housing policy agenda, including information on federal funding, youth housing proposals, and other documents. This resource also includes a number of youth housing resources, including information on the spectrum of youth housing and other topics. Also included are a external links to useful resources.
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Solutions Brief  |  April 10, 2009
This two-page brief provides an overview of the prevalence and experience of LGBTQ youth, causal factors, and risks to LGBTQ youth while homeless.
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Solutions Brief  |  August 10, 2006
This issue brief reviews the key issues surrounding youth homelessness, including causes and characteristics of homeless youth. It also contains an introductory explanation of the youth housing continuum, a development model for stable and supportive housing for young adults and policy implications regarding youth homelessness.