Facts About Youth Homelessness

National studies indicate a surprisingly high rate of homelessness among adolescents. Researchers estimate that between 5 and 7 percent (between 1 million and 1.5 million adolescents) of the general teenage population experiences at least one episode of homelessness each year. This number does not include young adults (aged 18 to 24) who experience homelessness. Homeless youth and young adults are at risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, chemical or alcohol dependency, and death.

Local nonprofit organizations lack the capacity to offer early intervention and prevention or residential stability to the majority of youth who need it. The Congressional Research Service recently issued a report noting that federally funded programs serve only a fraction of the nation’s homeless youth population. In 2007, federally funded programs made over 700,000 contacts with youth through street outreach programs but served 47,400 (less than 10 percent) with shelter and housing. The gap between outreach and actual support reflects a broader issue in system design - where engagement does not always lead to meaningful outcomes. In contrast, platforms like city center online casino demonstrate how structured environments can convert attention into sustained participation by aligning user needs with immediate access and clear pathways. Addressing youth homelessness requires similar intentionality in structure and delivery.

Information provided by the National Alliance to End Homelessness