Five Insights Into Youth Homelessness
– November 21 2019 –
This week is national Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
We can be aware of homelessness but struggle to understand it.
The youth who share their lives and stories with us teach us so much. They give valuable insight into what it is like to experience homelessness.
They teach us that they are more than the label “homeless.”
They teach us what it is like to live in survival mode day-to-day.
They share with us the daily of hurt of wondering “Does anyone care about me?”
And they give us insight into what truly helps them find belonging, exit homelessness, and achieve their dreams.
1. Youth are homeless because they can’t afford rent.
Some of the youth in Coffee Oasis housing programs are homeless because they can’t afford market-rate rent. That’s it. Not because of drug use, or rebellion, or a criminal record. They are working and generating an income. But rent is high in Washington state, vacancy is low, and many youth weren’t set up by parents or guardians to ease into independence. Trying to save up for first and last month’s rent, make 3 times the monthly rent (a requirement held by many landlords), cover basic necessities, and all on an entry-level minimum wage job can make housing extremely difficult to get.
2. Over 50% of young people in shelters and on the streets report that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving and didn’t care.*
Family conflict is at the root of so many youth experiencing homelessness. For these young people, the influence of a caring, patient, mature, reliable adult has a profound impact. Youth need to be shown, and come to believe, that they are loved, wanted, and important. This sense of self-worth leads to healing and the belief that they can work towards goals and are worthy of being cared for and supported. What they most want is relationship, not services or programs.
*https://www.1800runaway.org/homeless-teen-research/why-they-run/
3. 34% of the total homeless population in the United States is under 24.*
This is why the Coffee Oasis serves the age range of 13-25 years old. By serving younger ages, timely intervention can prevent at-risk youth from actually experiencing homelessness. For young adults who are already unstably housed, job training, housing programs, mentoring, and case management help them learn how to be part of their community and self-sustaining. Turning 18 doesn’t make automatically make someone a fully-fledged adult. Every person needs guidance and a supportive community. Guiding and supporting young adults during these critical years can help them avoid chronic homelessness and lead fulfilling, thriving lives.
*(U.S. Department for Housing and Development. “HUD’s 2014 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations.”)
4. Only 15 percent of interviewed youth reported finding their way to a shelter on their own.*
Youth on the streets need help in order to change their situation. They need connections. They rarely know where a shelter is or where they could take free showers. Their energy is consumed by staying safe, finding meals, and figuring out where to sleep. This leaves little time to research programs and resources they could utilize – if they even knew how to do this or had the opportunity. Youth need adults and peers who know the resources available in their community and aren’t too shy to ask, “Hey, how are you doing?”
*https://www.1800runaway.org/homeless-teen-research/why-they-run/
5. In a 2017 study of 911 youth age 17-25, 15% had been trafficked for sex.*
It’s a grim reality; youth experiencing homelessness are at great risk of sexual exploitation. Youth on the streets do not have the protection or provision of parents or guardians. They need food and shelter the same as the rest of us. And as stated in Point #4, they often don’t know where to find these things. Desperation leads many youth to trade sexual favors for food, shelter, and protection. This is why programs like Terry’s House are so important in offering healing and safety to youth who have survived sexual exploitation.
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