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Research highlights the critical role drop-in centers and health agencies have in supporting youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) by providing services that heal and guide transitions towards a thriving life. Qualitative research suggests that YEH face discrimination in these settings, however quantitative data indicating how much youth experience discrimination, and which groups of YEH experience discrimination most remain limited. Discrimination is shown to exacerbate mental and physical health, creating barriers to seeking services, stable housing, and other basic needs. This study aims to identify how many YEH report discrimination from these low barrier agencies and who reports the most discrimination and whether positive adult non-staff relationships mitigate these experiences.
Methods
Using secondary data from Have You Heard, a survey of 222 youth (ages 18–26) recruited from three Los Angeles drop-in centers (May 2016–October 2018), two negative binomial regression models analyzed self-reported discrimination across healthcare and drop-in services. Covariates included age, race, and sexual and gender identities. Independent variables were foster care and arrest history, time homeless, sleeping unsheltered, and positive non-staff relationships. Discrimination was measured using responses adapted from Williams’ Everyday Discrimination Scale.
Results
YEH identifying as Mixed Race reported discrimination more than twice the rate of their White peers from both drop-in centers (IRR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.16–3.73) and healthcare agencies (IRR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.20–4.57). Similarly, GLBQ+ YEH experienced discrimination at nearly double the rate of heterosexual peers at drop-in centers (IRR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.36–3.20) and healthcare settings (IRR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.03–2.77). Age was positively associated with discrimination, with reports increasing for each additional year of age (IRR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01–1.28). TGNC (IRR = 1.78, 95% CI: 0.89–3.56) and Latine YEH (IRR = 1.72, 95% CI: 0.89–3.33) also faced elevated discrimination at drop-in centers compared to cisgender and White peers.
In contrast, unsheltered YEH experienced significantly less discrimination than sheltered youth (IRR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39–0.97). System-impacted YEH, including those with foster care (IRR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.46–1.07) or arrest histories (IRR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.45–1.06), reported fewer incidents of discrimination. YEH with positive adult (non-staff) relationships also showed a trend toward reduced healthcare discrimination (IRR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.46–1.16).
Conclusion
Institutions must embrace identity fluidity to effectively serve youth experiencing homelessness, particularly those who are Mixed-Race and GLBTQ+. These youth often embody complex, intersecting identities that may not fit squarely within traditional fixed racial, ethnic, or gender categories. Their high rates of reported discrimination suggest that many service environments are still rigid in eligibility frameworks that fail to reflect lived realities. The link between increased age and discrimination suggests potential service gaps due to age-based eligibility. Meanwhile, lower reports among youth with arrest histories and YEH sleeping unsheltered may reflect disengagement from services. Agencies must respect the personal agency of youth and provide adaptive avenues for input, and most of all meet YEH “where they are at” with culturally aware responsiveness.