Beyond a Bed: Supportive Connections Forged Between Youth Who Are Couch Hopping and Adult Hosts

Who Is Couch-Surfing and Who Is on the Streets? Disparities Among Racial and Sexual Minority Youth in Experiences of Homelessness

“…These divergent trends may be a product of the networks YEH leverage during couch-surfing and their developmental timing. As couch-surfing serves as a protective factor for school enrollment [25], minors may find temporary places to stay through their peers [19]. Extended family members may also be more inclined to temporarily house a younger minor, but compounding factors like overcrowding, poverty, and substance use can push older teens out of family homes [18].…”

“…Indeed, recent research suggests that the living arrangements of YEH can change almost daily [17]. Couch-surfing is frequently conceived as a housing strategy utilized by youth during an initial housing loss and a precursor to street homelessness [18,19]. However, longitudinal and retrospective studies suggest that couch-surfing can be part of diverse and complex trajectories of homelessness characteristic of YEH [15,20] and intertwined with young people's identity, social relationships, and vulnerabilities [6].…”

The Costs of Caring: Navigating Material Challenges When Adults Informally Host Youth Facing Homelessness

“…This kind of shared housing among low-income adult-headed households is recognized as an important economic buffer, but very little work has framed youth couch hopping in a similar way (Edin & Lein, 1997; Mykyta & Pilkauskas, 2016; Pilkauskas et al, 2014). This study begins from the understanding that youth sometimes couch hop with people they trust, and that these arrangements should be understood as a safety net for youth facing housing instability (Curry et al, 2021).…”

“…Informal social and material support may be key for youth, who are less likely than adults to seek help from formal services; this is especially relevant for youth identifying as LGBTQ+, who may anticipate facing bias or harassment in some formal service settings (Samuels et al, 2018). However, research has only recently explored natural supports as a viable source of housing (Curry et al, 2021).…”

“…Instability and risk do mark some couch hopping experiences (Hail-Jares et al, 2021, Curry et al, 2017). At the same time, some informal hosting relationships are safe and supportive (Curry et al, 2021). In that light, we propose that informal hosting arrangements can also be a form of mutual aid and community housing resilience, playing a critical role in the prevention of unsheltered youth homelessness.…”