Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Homelessness in the United States

Abstract

Purpose Unaccompanied youth homelessness is a serious concern. Response, however, has been constrained by the absence of credible data on the size and characteristics of the population and reliable means to track youth homelessness over time. We sought to address these gaps. Methods Using a nationally representative phone-based survey (N = 26,161), we solicited household and individual reports on different types of youth homelessness. We collected household reports on adolescents aged 13–17 and young adults aged 18–25, as well as self-reports from young adults aged 18–25. Follow-up interviews with a subsample (n = 150) provided additional information on youth experiences and enabled adjustment for inclusion errors. Results Over a 12-month period, approximately 3.0% of households with 13- to 17-year-olds reported explicit youth homelessness (including running away or being asked to leave) and 1.3% reported experiences that solely involved couch surfing, resulting in an overall 4.3% household prevalence of any homelessness, broadly defined. For 18- to 25-year-olds, household prevalence estimates were 5.9% for explicitly reported homelessness, 6.6% for couch surfing only, and 12.5% overall. The 12-month population prevalence estimates, available only for 18- to 25-year-olds, were 5.2%, 4.5%, and 9.7%, respectively. Incidence rates were about half as high as prevalence rates. Prevalence rates were similar across rural and nonrural counties. Higher risk of homelessness was observed among young parents; black, Hispanic, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth; and those who did not complete high school. Conclusions The prevalence and incidence of youth homelessness reveal a significant need for prevention and youth-centric systems and services, as well as strategies to address disproportionate risks of certain subpopulations.

Dual experiences of teenage parenting and homelessness among Native Hawaiian youth: A critical interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…Significant racial and ethnic inequities in youth homelessness exist across the United States (Morton et al, 2018). On O'ahu Hawai'i 44.4% of homeless youth identify as part or full Native Hawaiian (Yuan et al, 2018).…”

“…Youth homelessness is a significant problem in the United States that inequitably affects youth of colour. Morton et al () recently reported youth homelessness prevalence rates of 3% (households with 13 to 17 year olds) to 12.5% (youth aged 18 to 25 years) of U.S. households. In their 2015 point‐in‐time count, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development () reported that 36,907 unaccompanied youth were homeless in any given night.…”

Mental Health Outcomes Among Homeless, Runaway, and Stably Housed Youth

“…An estimated 1 in 30 US adolescents experience some type of unaccompanied homelessness annually. 1 More than 2 decades of research suggests that when a young person's living situation is unstable, they are at increased risk for significant adverse health outcomes, including chronic medical conditions, mental illness, substance use, sexually transmitted infections, and victimization. [2][3][4][5][6][7] Research describing typologies of youth homelessness suggests that there may be important differences between subgroups of homeless youth.…”

Improving mental health services for homeless youth in downtown Montreal, Canada: Partnership between a local network and ACCESS Esprits ouverts (Open Minds), a National Services Transformation Research Initiative

“…Youth homelessness is not an exclusively Canadian concern. In the United States, for instance, a recent report estimated that 3.48 million young adults (aged 18 to 25 years) experienced homelessness or precarious housing over a 12‐month period (Morton et al, ). In the United Kingdom, it was estimated that 83 000 youth had availed homelessness services for a one‐year period (Clark, Burgess, Morris, & Udagawa, ).…”

“…Youth homelessness is not an exclusively Canadian concern. In the United States, for instance, a recent report estimated that 3.48 million young adults (aged 18 to 25 years) experienced homelessness or precarious housing over a 12-month period (Morton et al, 2018).…”