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Youth Homelessness In America

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Youth Homelessness in America Every year, millions of people are experiencing some form of homelessness in the United States alone. Of those people who are experiencing homelessness, a large proportion of them is under the age of 24. Data has found that there are over 550,000 youth have experienced homelessness for more than a week over the course of a year (“Youth and Young Adults,” 2018). In many cases, youth homelessness can be prevented, but the lack of resources and services available to youth is limited. As a result, the issue continues to grow and affect more and more youth have to experience homelessness. By bringing awareness and hopefully an end to youth homelessness, society will not only help get these youth off the streets, …show more content…

For instance, a study published in 2009 discusses the importance of understanding the different aspects of this population in order to effectively help end youth homelessness. The study notes that are two typical forms of youth homelessness: children living in homeless families and unaccompanied youth. The first group, children living in homeless families, is essentially children who “live in families without a home” (Aratani, 2009, p. 4). Unaccompanied youth, then include those who are runaways, throwaways, and independent youth who have no contact with their family. Additionally, there is a multitude of factors that have been known to contribute to homelessness. These factors include, but are not limited to, lack of affordable housing, economic insecurity, behavioral health, etc. Research has found that the main contributing factors for children living in homeless families are the lack of affordable housing, poverty, and domestic violence (Aratani, 2009). Similarly, mental illness, substance abuse, and lack of affordable housing are the top contributing factors of homelessness among unaccompanied youth (Aratani, 2009). In addition to analyzing the factors that can cause homelessness, the article explores the impact that homelessness can have on youth. For example, homelessness can often lead to food insecurity since food supplies can be scarce, which can then have a negative impact on the child/youth’s overall health. Also, it can lead to juvenile delinquency, troubles with school, and “a greater risk of experiencing mental health problems” (Aratani, 2009, p. 7). When determining what programs and other resources are best fit to help end youth homelessness, it is important to understand the causes and impact of homelessness among youths in the United

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Poor physical and mental health, restricted access to chances for education and employment, and an increased likelihood of participation with the criminal justice system are all consequences of homelessness. The entire community is affected, therefore it's not simply an issue for the person. What can we do to address this then? In order to confront this problem and create answers, society as a whole must assume responsibility. Our efforts must be coordinated in order to increase young people's employment possibilities, make housing more affordable, and offer homeless individuals support services.

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Youth homelessness. In Canada this is becoming more than an issue, it's becoming a crisis. Every night thousands of Canadians between the ages of 16-24 struggle to survive. In a year around 200,000 Canadians experience homelessness, and youth between the ages of 16-24 make up 20% of that huge number.

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Homeless youth are always dealing with poor nutrition, victimization, substance use, and abuse. Unfortunately the services provided are very limited and cannot help a huge chunk of the homeless youth. Homeless youth experience more substance abuse and drug addiction than non-homeless youth, this causes them to be mentally unstable and unable to be a functioning member of society. There are many temporary services provided such as shelters, drop-ins, meal programs, literacy improvements, and counselling programs; although these are available and there to help the youth, they are all flawed in their own ways. What the government does not take into consideration is the long term solutions to put youth in poverty to an end.

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An effective way to address the problem of homelessness in America is to continue creating affordable housing, maintaining assistance programs, and continue creating workforce

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Over one and a half million teens and children in the United States are homeless. Part of this staggering number is related to parent absence, whether it be emotional or physical absence. When parents become absent in the lives of their children, these children then search for a way to escape, often finding themselves homeless and desperate for guidance. If it was required that these children and teens had adequate care and living conditions, the number of homeless children would drastically decrease. The issue of parent absence in the lives of impoverished children is similar to the collapsing of a multistory building, therefore, communities implementing frequent welfare checkups could ensure adequate care and mental stability, just as it

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