Challenges Of Homeless Youth

Youth Homeless is a significant social issue that impacts a multitude of youth from all over the United States. There is a multitude of factors that can contribute to youth homelessness. Fortunately, the Covenant House in Michigan is committed to servicing homeless youth in Detroit. One of the core values of the agency, is immediacy therefore, the agency offers necessities such as shelter, safety, food and clothing rapidly to those in need. The Covenant House will not turn anyone away if they fall into the age range of 18-24 years old.

Homelessness is a major problem in the United States. An incredibly vulnerable group is the homeless youth due to their young age and lack of education. According to Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, & Karnik (2012) on any particular night in the United States there are ~2 million homeless youth living on the streets, in shelters, or in other temporary accommodation. Youth become homeless for multiple reasons whether it be because they have aged out of foster care, ran from home, were kicked out of their home, or because they have become homeless along with their family members. Within the umbrella categorization of homeless youth there are high at risk subgroups, common misconceptions, and a serious concern of lack of support and medical services.

There are millions of homeless youth in America. On any given night, you can find these children ducking into abandoned buildings, crammed up against alley dumpsters, curled inside the big yellow slide of a local playground. I imagine they are thankful for sleep, wary of a new day, but thankful nonetheless. Homelessness at such a young age if left alone, leads to increased rates of conflict. The more homeless youths now, the more our country as a whole will have to deal with divorce, mental illness, and the need for government assistance.

Homelessness is a pressing issue that affects everyone all over the world, of all ages, all race and all sexes. There is an inexcusable amount of young people who are homeless. 17% of all homeless people are under the age of twelve. That could be the age of a younger sibling. Imagine if they were homeless, living on the streets. This is the reality that some have to face

The effects of teen homelessness are many ranging from untreated physical and mental health to drug and alcohol dependence. Many youth also fall victim to the prison system and even death due to criminal behavior as a means of survival. During my research a study was conducted on youth entering and exiting the foster care system. Research has shown that the very systems put into place to ensure child safety and reduce outcomes such as poverty have place more youth at risk “Homelessness and its associated psychosocial effects continue to plague American urban centers. Especially troubling are suggestions that foster care functions as a pipeline to the streets for older adolescents leaving the system. Surveys of service providers and homeless populations suggest that young people exiting foster care have difficulty securing stable housing” (Fowler, Toro, & Miles, 2009, p.1).

Homeless youth are a standout amongst the most underestimated gatherings in our general public. Numerous specialists recognize much more elevated amounts of different issue practices among these adolescent contrasted with their non-homeless associates. The current study analyzed the utility of social capital in foreseeing issue practices among homeless youth.

Homeless teenagers are a vulnerable population that faces many challenges just in terms of daily existence in addition to their overall development in the transitioning to adulthood. Current studies are reported to indicate that the primary cause of homeless among youth is "family dysfunction in the form of parental neglect, physical or sexual abuse, family substance abuse, and family violence." (Runway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Toolkit, 2009, p.1) Homeless youth are generally defined as "an unaccompanied youth ages 12 and older who are without family support and who are living in shelters, on the streets, in cares or vacant buildings and who are 'couch surfing' or living in other unstable circumstances." (Runway & Homeless Youth and Relationship Toolkit, 2009, p.1) Son (2002) writes that it is "...unknown how many homeless youth are out there. Most of them are not in the child welfare, juvenile justice, or mental health systems, making it difficult to accurately gather statistical data." (p.2)

Throughout the United States, there are a large number of individuals that goes unnoticed. Hidden in right plain sight, but are overlooked. They can be our friends, family, classmates, or the person standing right next you to at this moment. There are young individuals who are facing the tremendous challenge of being homeless. They are overlooked by many in society. However, there have been countless individuals, groups, organizations dedicated to ending youth homelessness. However, they are confronted with challenges due to the lack of interest. The lack of interest found within society can contribute to barriers to ending youth homelessness.

Homelessness can sometimes seem like a surreal thing which does not actually happen to real people, or at least not to the people you know. However, statistically speaking, thirty thousand people are homeless on any given night. For every one of these homeless people, three point five people are what is known as ‘hidden homeless’. Commonly referred to as couch surfers, these are people who have no permanent residence, but stay with relatives or friends temporarily. Young people aged sixteen to twenty four are twenty percent of the homeless population. With these high numbers of homelessness right while we are in high school and while pursuing higher education, of course a large majority are also attempting to cope with homelessness.

Youth homelessness in Canada is on the rise and it has become one of the most concerning and growing issues across the country. It is estimated that at least 235 000 Canadians experience homelessness at some point every year, 35 000 Canadians experience homelessness every night and approximately 20 % of the homeless population are young people between the ages of 16 and 24(Gaetz et al, 2014). Contrary to popular belief, the leading causes of homelessness youth in Canada are the result of a variety of different factors like economic hardships and unstable housing situations, relational circumstances (family conflict, abuse, discrimination) and system failures. Most homeless people are not on street by choice. In most cases, families facing economic adversities due to poverty and unstable housing situations are unable to support their family members.

The Higher Education Access & Success for Homeless and Foster Care youth task force is an organization founded in Buffalo, NY in September 2017. This task force will include several individuals from the community such as local agencies, stakeholders, legislators, and active members. The members of the task force aim to improve the social and economic injustice of a population that has been excluded from access to services needed for higher education. Each individual of the task force will play a vital role in rectifying the injustice of the population by addressing three different levels of social work practice which includes micro, mezzo, and macro practice to create social change. The role and responsibilities of each member are based on

One in every 50 American children experiences homelessness, according to a new report that says most states have inadequate plans to address the worsening and often-overlooked problem (“1 and 50 children experience homelessness” 1). The problem of homelessness

StandUp for Kids defines volunteering as a service that willing participants engage in to diminish the epidemic of homeless youth and impacting their lives in several different communities across America. I’m basing my assumption on this organizations mission statement and their expectations they have for individuals that want to support their programs. From my research, I was able to clearly determine that they want committed people to join the fight to end the statistic of 13 children dying every day due to homelessness.

There is one federally funded program in which we will talk about later that helps homeless individuals get the care they need. There is a dire need for more programs that assist the homeless because the number one reason they are homeless is because they cannot afford housing. If they cannot afford this they probably will not be able to afford the necessities to live a healthy lifestyle. When youths and adolescents succumb to homelessness they are at a greater risk, because they do not have the resources an adult would. They have a disadvantage of employment opportunities and are a greater risk of not completing high school. Youths will lack the ability to receive health care, which will create problems in their overall health because they will not be able to receive the care they need in the instance of sickness, injury or access to medicines. There are countless reasons that adults succumb to being homeless. Some are that a job was lost, mental health is prevalent among them, substance abuse and spouse abuse. Adults who are experiencing homelessness have some of the same problems that youths do as well. An adult not being able to receive health care is very serious especially for older homeless adults. Sickness and serious health problems are more prevalent in older adults resulting in untimely death and the spreading of sicknesses and diseases. I have some establishments offering free haircuts to the homeless if they are preparing for an interview. I have also

Imagine a young child growing up, learning, and trying to further his or her life to obtain success in the future. For an “everyday” child this can be challenging, however “everyday” obstacles can be overcome. For thousands of children in the United States, this dream is almost impossible to achieve. These children are a part of the homeless population that is spread throughout the United States. Many times these individuals try to hide this major secret from the rest of the world, but homelessness is very prevalent among these youths today. Various problems occur in these peoples’ lives that others could not even begin to understand. Homelessness affects children in every stage of life physically, mentally, and emotionally.