Know Your Rights: Shelter and Housing

This information is also available for download in the Know Your Rights Toolkit for Youth Experiencing Homelessness, pages 5-8.

• Living in a safe home.
• Being provided with basic needs (meals, clothing, medical care).
• Being safe from abuse and discrimination.

The National Runaway Safeline can offer confidential, non-judgemental support. You can also chat or email them on their website.

One way you can do this is to Google search for “youth shelters near me.” You can also look at this map to see if there are any Runaway and Homeless Youth shelters near you. Click your state, then click “Runaway and Homeless Youth.” You’ll be taken to a list of programs in your state.

• Basic Center Programs (shelter services): For youth ages 14 to 17.
• Transitional Living Programs (housing programs): For youth ages 16 to 22. Some programs only serve youth ages 18 to 22.
• Maternity Group Homes: For pregnant or parenting youth ages 16 to 22. Some programs only serve youth ages 18 to 22.
• Street Outreach Programs: Can connect youth to further services. Some have drop-in centers.

A homeless liaison is someone that every K-12 public school has who can help students experiencing homelessness. Here is a directory. You can also ask a trusted adult at your school, like a coach or teacher, who the homeless liaison is.

The coordinated entry process is a system used to assess and refer individuals (18 and older) and families who need housing services. You can find out more here.

Note that the Continuum of Care can most likely only help you if you are experiencing visible homelessness (see page 3 of the Know Your Rights Toolkit.)

Some minors experience homelessness by themselves, without a parent or guardian. There are some emergency shelters for minors, but sadly options are limited. You can call, text, chat, or email the National Runaway Safeline or local shelters to find out what resources and safe places are available to you.

Just like adults, you have the rights to:

• Live in a safe home.
• Be provided with basic needs (meals, clothing, medical care).
• Be safe from abuse and discrimination.

Key Points for Minors Seeking Shelter

• Some, but not all, shelters will let you in without consent from your parent or guardian.
• You also have the right to keep your records private, meaning the shelter should not share your data, information, and story with anyone.
• You should be very cautious when accepting an invitation to stay from an adult you don’t know very well. Have a safety plan for quick exits just in case.

• Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs (RHYA)​​ Youth-specific programs, including emergency shelters for minors, transitional housing for youth up to age 22, street outreach programs, and drop-in centers.
• Continuum of Care (CoC)​ A local organization that oversees the homelessness assistance programs in that area, like shelters, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and others.
• Public Housing Authority (PHA) A local organization that oversees the housing assistance programs in that area, like rental assistance or Section 8 vouchers. You must apply for housing assistance programs through your local PHA.

• RHYA Programs​​ RHYA programs are open to young people who can’t live safely with a relative and who have no other safe alternative living arrangement. There are different kinds of RHYA programs:
  • Basic Center Program: Emergency shelter for youth ages 13 to 17.
  • Transitional Living Program: Transitional housing for up to two years for youth ages 16 to 22 (some programs serve only 18 to 22).
  • Maternity Group Homes: Transitional housing for up to two years for pregnant or parenting youth ages 16 to 22 (some programs serve only 18 to 22).
  • Street Outreach Program: Outreach workers or drop-in centers that can connect you to services.
  • All young people within the age ranges who are experiencing homelessness are eligible.
• CoC Programs​ If you’re over 18 and experiencing visible homelessness (see page 3 of the Know Your Rights Toolkit), the CoC can enroll you into the homelessness system and get you in line for homelessness services. Note that waitlists can be very long. Immigrant youth without legal status may be eligible for some programs, like emergency shelter or transitional housing, but not eligible for others.
• PHA Programs Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. The PHA determines your eligibility based on: 1) annual gross income; 2) whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and 3) U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.
  • Income limits vary from area to area, so you may be eligible at one PHA but not at another.

• RHYA​​​ Find an RHYA program in your state here. Reach out to them using the contact information on the list or on their website.
• CoC​​ Find your local CoC here. You can narrow the list by state. Reach out to the contact labeled as “POC for Homeless Persons.”
• PHA​ Find your local PHA here. You can search by state and it will pull you a list of contacts.

• National Homelessness Law Center. Basic Rights of Youth in Shelter Practice Guide. 2024.