Findings from a Statewide Enumeration and Survey of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

Background: Youth homelessness and housing instability is a widespread but understudied social problem. Homeless or marginally housed youth face significant challenges, including increased risk of behavioral health disorders and suicide; criminal activity, victimization, and trafficking; and barriers to completing education or maintaining employment. These challenges require policymakers and service providers to learn how to engage effectively with youth and young adults. Unfortunately, traditional homeless counts, such as the Point in Time counts, under identify youth who often do not self-identify as homeless. To address this undercount of youth homelessness, the State of Maryland initiated Youth REACH MD in 2015. The purpose of Youth REACH MD was to plan and then conduct enumerations of unaccompanied homeless and marginally housed youth for the purpose of developing more targeted services.

Methods: In 2017, Youth REACH MD conducted its second survey and enumeration of youth who were under the age of 25; not in the physical custody of legal guardian (unaccompanied); and, lacking a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence (experiencing homelessness or housing instability) across 18 of Maryland's 24 counties. The survey utilized youth and stakeholder-informed, locally-driven methodologies to find and engage youth. Additional data was gathered from administrative homeless management information (HMIS) data systems. Surveys and HMIS data were deduplicated using a unique identifier.

Results: 2,425 unaccompanied homeless youth were identified by surveys or HMIS. Only 5% of youth surveyed were also identified in the HMIS data. Surveyed youth reported high frequencies of instability in their living situations, with over half reporting moving multiple times within a 2-month period. Family conflict was the most frequently reported reason for not living with a legal guardian. The most frequent living situation reported was doubling up or couch surfing, confirming prior research that most youth experiencing homelessness are less likely to be found in the same locations as adults experiencing homelessness. Survey results indicated an overrepresentation of youth who identify as Black/African American and who identify as LGBTQ. Over a quarter reported being pregnant or parenting. Contact with juvenile services, child welfare, and correctional services was also high. Nutritional assistance, short-term housing, health care, and mental health services were supports most often sought by youth, however the majority of youth reported not receiving any assistance, most frequently due to a lack of transportation or waiting lists at service providers. A third of youth reported having no source of income.

Conclusion: The 2017 Youth REACH MD findings suggest that youth homelessness is more widespread in Maryland than previously identified through less targeted enumeration efforts. This project illustrates the importance of having a youth specific enumeration methodologies informed by youth and local partners, which also provides an opportunity to begin to connect youth with available supports and improve community efforts to address youth homelessness. By better understanding the number, characteristics, and needs of youth experiencing homelessness it is possible to improve efforts to end and prevent youth homelessness.