There are an estimated 4.2 million youth and young adults - this includes unaccompanied minors and those 18-24 years old - experiencing homelessness in the United States. This number is likely an undercount as homelessness among youth and young adults can often be hidden with many not in shelters, instead relying on friends or acquaintances for a place to stay.

Now that it has been a full year since some the Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP) projects started up, we took this as an opportunity to hear from youth and young adults with lived experience discuss what it is like to navigate through an adult-centered system and to learn more about the strides taken to level that landscape through the program.

Watch the full presentation to learn more about youth homelessness and what you can do to help.

Our featured speakers:

• Ashanni & Danielle - Youth Action Board Members, Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP)
• Courtney Sellers - Executive Director, Grace Place
• Tiata Collier - Peer Support Specialist, Montrose Center

What are the main causes of youth homelessness?

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), youth homelessness is often caused by family conflicts, poverty, racial disparities, and mental health and substance abuse disorders.

There are many misconceptions about youth homelessness. For example, did you know an estimated 25% of youth who have been through the foster care system become homeless the moment they age out from the system? This is often due to the fact many leave the system with little to no resources to support themselves.

These misconceptions can mean barriers are ignored. Many youths living on the street do not know what resources are available to them or feel as if there is an expectation for them to know how to navigate this world by themselves.

How does our Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP) help?

Ongoing collaboration and coordination are important to end homelessness, but this is especially true when talking about youth homelessness. The Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP) is an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness across the country.

Youth homelessness looks different in every community. Our YHDP’s Coordinated Community Plan (CCP) focuses on working with local community stakeholders and ensuring that youth voices stay at the forefront to provide the resources and expertise to end youth homelessness.

Our YHDP is led by the Youth Action Board (YAB), a group made up of youth and young adults with lived experience who provide the program with direct input on all issues related to youth homelessness. Their unique perspectives help our YHDP-funded partners understand the unique challenges of youth homelessness.

Since February 2023, over 477 youth and youth adults have enrolled in YHDP projects. We are committed to working with our community stakeholders and other youth-serving agencies to keep addressing the unique needs of youth and young adults experiencing homelessness.