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AmyMedlock
LIB5195Truett
Spring2015
April15,2015

HomelessnessinAmericasYouth
StatisticsillustratethegrowingproblemofhomelessyouthinAmerica.Accordingto
NewsweekMagazine(Ziv,2014),thefollowingnumbersemphasizetheintensityandthe
complexityoftheissue.1in5childrenisconsideredhomelessand14.7yearsistheaverageage
thatateenbecomeshomeless.34%ofthehomelesspopulationareyoungpeopleundertheage
of24.Teensage1217yearsarethesinglemostlikelyagegrouptobecomehomeless.46%of
homelessyouthlefttheirhomebecauseofphysicalabuse(17%becauseofsexualabuse),40%
areidentifiedasLGBTQ,andover50%ofyoungpeopleinsheltersandonthestreetsreport
theirparentstoldthemtoleaveorknewtheywereleavinganddidntcare.Approximately80%
ofhomelessyouth(1221yearsold)usedrugstoselfmedicateanddealwiththetraumatic
experiencesandabusetheyface.Youthareespeciallyaffectedbecauseofchangesinbrain
infrastructurethateventuallyinterferewithlearningandcognitiveskills,identity,andemotional
andsocialaspects(Ziv,2014)aswellasgreaterriskforengaginginsurvivalsexleadingto
sexualassaults,bullyingandvictimization,anddroppingoutofschool(Briihl,Whatley,and
Wisehart,2013).
Itisfirstimportanttorecognizethedifficultyinreportingstatisticsonhomeless
populationsingeneral.TheintroductionofnewbillstoCongressareaddressinghowtoformally
andmoreaccuratelydeterminenumbersofthehomeless(Ziv,2014).Thequestioncomesinto

placewhetherwecountthosethattakeadvantageofoutreachprograms(foodkitchens/pantries,
temporaryshelters,etc.)only,oraparticulardayorPIT(pointintime)andstreetcounts,or
basedonhunger(nothomelessness),orwithinspecificcitiesversusnationally.Forpurposesof
thispaper,theresearchusedwasgatheredbymorethanonemethod.
Withagrowingnumberofhomelessbeingyouth,informationisneededinhowandwhy
theseagegroupentersin.Alargenumberofhomelessarefamilies(typicallysingleparent)with
an8%increaseovertheperiodofoneyear,20132014.Nearly2.5millionchildrenlivedin
shelters,onthestreetsorincars,campgrounds,orcrampedhousingwithotherfamiliesin2013
(Ziv,2014).Causesofmoreyouthcomingintothehomelesspopulationincludepoverty,lackof
affordablehousingforfamilies,racialdisparities,singlesparenthomes,abuse,andthelingering
effectsoftherecession.Whenyoutharehomeless,theytypicallymovefromoneplaceto
another,changingschoolsfrequentlyandfallingbehindintheireducationandmorelikelyto
dropoutofschool.Theyarelosingaplaceintheircommunity,andlosingvitalconnections
theyneedtodevelop(Ziv,2014).Onegroupinparticularhasseenlargenumbersenteringinto
thehomelesspopulation.Upto40%ofthehomelessyouthpopulationisLGBTQinpartdueto
familyrejection,physical,emotionalorsexualabuse,agingoutoffostercareorfinancial/
emotionalneglect(SheltonandWinkelstein,2014).Communityrejectionontopoffamily
rejectionhasnotonlyincreasedthenumbersofLGBTQinhomelesssituationsbutalsocreateda
muchtougherenvironmenttoescapefrom.Thepopulationfeelsthatiftheydonottake
advantageofservices,laylowinasense,thenanynegativeattention(whichislinkedtothe
cause)willnotbebroughttothemtherebyremaininginthesituationtheyarein.

Manysolutionswereproposedbutthosethatweresuccessfulrequireeducationand
collaboration.Educatingthepubliciskeyinchangingtheperceptionofhomelesspeople.
Participantsineducationalprogramsonhomelessnessdemonstratedempathyalongwithadesire
toreachouttothoseinneedandhelp,andamindsetthathomelessnessissolvable(Briihl,
Whatley,andWisehart,2013).Thismayleadtoeffortsthateffectivelyaddresshomelessness,
alleviatethenegativestereotypesofhomelesspeopleandchangingpeoplesattitudes,
interveningwiththehomelesspopulation,takingthepersonalemotionsoutoftheissue,and
playingapartinalongtermsolution.Interventionprograms,suchasoneconductedwith
medicalstudents,providesinformationondemographic/healthrelatedissuesofhomeless
people,tourstoshelters/clinics,andhomelesspatientcasesthatintroducethemtothisissue.
Theprogramshaveapositiveeffectonchangingtheattitudeofthestudentstowardshomeless
individuals(Briihl,Whatley,andWisehart,2013).Optionsforhomelessfamilieswithchildren
tocurbtheissuearesafeandaffordablehousing,employment/educationopportunitiesfor
parents,support,andidentifyingservicestomeettheirneeds.Again,thecollaborationbetween
servicesisemphasizedherewiththeneedforDOE(DepartmentofEducation)andHUD
(HousingandUrbanDevelopment)tocometogethertoofferinformationandopportunities.In
Dayton,Ohioforexample,ithasbeenhelpfultoprovidethechronic,longtermhomelesswith
housingandservicesupfrontwhileassigningthemtocaseworkerstokeepupwithand
encourageongoingprogress.Thiseventuallyreducescostsincityandprivateservicesthat
wouldbeutilizedmorefrequentlyifnotinastableenvironment(Shumsky,2012).Anothersuch
exampleinAnaheim,Californiaisbasedontheasimilarapproachtotrytoreducethefrequency
inhomelessrelatedcallsforservice,providebetterassistance,andimprovethecommunity.The

APD(AnaheimPoliceDepartment)createdaHomelessOutreachTeam(HOT)toprovide
connectionsbetweenindividualsandtheavailableresourcestomeettheirneeds.Theteamis
bothreactiveinrespondingtocallsandproactiveinlookingforways/peopletohelp.Itis
comprisedofaPsychiatricEmergencyResponseTeam,aHomelessResourcesCollaborative,
andHomelessLiaisonOfficers(Marcin,2014).Theteamiseducatedinmentalhealthtraining
andthecountysnonprofit/faithbasedservicesavailable.Thegoalistomeettheneedsof
homelesspersonsbyconnectingthemtotheavailableresources,goods,and/orservicesatthe
timeofcall.Withtheteaminplace,a47%successrate(meetingtheneedsoftheindividual)
wasachievedwithinitsfirstyearofimplementation(Marcin,2014).Librariesandlibrarians
posetobeapromisingaidinresolvingthehomelessissue.Librariesareoftenaplacefor
blendinginandremainingoutofthepubliceyewhilegainingaccesstoinformation(about
housing,education,employment,meals,andmedical/socialservices).Asacommunityresource,
librarieshavethepotentialtobeinvolved,toeducate,andtoprovideassistancenotonlytothe
homelesspopulationbuttheentirecommunity.Collaboratingwithothercommunityservices
putstheminapositiontoreachmorepeople.Thelibraryisoftenseenasawelcomeplace,with
nojudgement,acceptanceandsupport,whereonecanbeoneself,andpeoplecare.Itcanbea
bridgefromthoseservicesofferedtochildrentotheadultswhoqualifyforotherassistance.
Otherwaysthatlibrariescanbeintegralinthesolutionare:bevisibleinthecommunity,train
librarystafftomeettheneedsofthesepopulations,engageincommunityeducationefforts,
providemeetingspaces,andprovideconnections/linkstocommunityservicesandadvocates.
Througheducationandcollaboration,wecanconnectservicestothoseinhomelesssituations
whowant/needtheaidanddesiretobetterthemselves.Thesetypesofprogramsresultin

humanitarianoutreach,reductioninnumbersofhomelesspeople,asafercommunityandbetter
communitywithfewerservicesneeded.
Thenumberofhomelessindividualsisclimbing,mostofwhichareyouth.Without
intervention,homelessyouthareoftenboundtoalifeofabuse,druguse,andhomelessness.
Educationandcollaborationarevitalinbeingapartofthesolution.Manyprograms,businesses,
industriesarecurrentlyplayingapartinthesolutionthroughinterventionprograms,assistance
teams,andservicesofferedthroughcollaborationandeducation.Librariesandlibrarianshave
theopportunitytojointhiseffortandbeapartofresolvingtheissueonhomelessness.

BibliographyofResources

Briihl,D.,Whatley,M.,&Wisehart,C.(2013).TheEffectivenessoftheFacesofHomelessness
EducationalProgramonStudentAttitudestowardtheHomeless.
NorthAmerican
JournalofPsychology,15(3)
,483494.
DoSomething:11FactsAboutHomelessTeens.Retrievedfrom

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11factsabouthomelessteens
Marcin,S.(2014).PolicingtheHomeless:OneCommunitysStrategy.
FBILawEnforcement
Bulletin,
14.
Shelton,J.andWinkelstein,J.(2014).LibrariansandSocialWorkers:WorkingTogetherfor
HomelessLGBTQYouth.
YoungAdultLibraryServices.13(1)
,2024.
Shumsky,N.L.(2012).
Homelessness:Adocumentaryandreferenceguide
.SantaBarbara,
Calif:Greenwood.
Ziv,S.(2014).ChildHomelessnessinU.S.ReachesHistoricHigh,ReportSays.Newsweek.
http://www.newsweek.com/childhomelessnessusreacheshistorichighreportsays28
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