4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year

Youth Homelessness by the data

Youth with a history of involvement with foster care, juvenile justice or behavioral health systems also are at high risk of homelessness. Many of these young people link the beginning of their homelessness to early family instability, including placement in foster care and family homelessness. Youth who are homeless often belong to groups that put them at a higher risk of homelessness; for example, Black or multiracial young people who also identify as LGBTQ have some of the highest rates of homelessness.

  • 90 %

    For many youths, instability in their homes forces them out onto the streets before they are adults. Family experiences like child abuse and/or neglect, domestic violence, parental substance use, or family conflict can lead to youth homelessness. 90 percent of youth accessing youth shelters state that they experience difficulties at home, such as constant fighting or screaming.

  • 68 %

    68 % of the youth who had either been trafficked or engaged in survival sex had done so while homeless.

  • 20 / 29 %

    One in five, 20 % of foster youth report expe­ri­enc­ing home­less­ness between ages 17 and 19, and over one in four (29%) report being home­less from 19 to 21.

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