What Works to End Youth and Young Adult Homelessness in America?

In response to the increased attention to youth and young adult homelessness, the National Network for Youth, in partnership with our Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) sought to document what works to prevent and appropriately respond to youth and young adult homelessness. This marquee publication, What Works to End Youth Homelessness: What We Know Now includes program snapshots of different housing models and services effectively provided to young people at-risk of an experiencing homelessness. These expert programs come from a mix of rural, urban and suburban communities across the United States. This publication covers the following topics:

Research About The Characteristics Of Homeless Youth In America
1. Family Instability
2. Systems Involvement
3. Residential Instability
4. Extreme Disconnection
Current Research On The Existing Service Structure For America’s Homeless Youth
1. Prevention and Outreach to Connect Youth to Services
2. Drop-In Centers to Engage Youth and Link to Community Resources
3. Shelter to Provide an Important First Step off the Street
4. Family Engagement and Interventions When Safe and Appropriate
5. Youth-Appropriate Housing Programs to Build Independent Living Skills
6. Case Management to Improve Wellness and Decision-Making
7. Connection to Education to Increase Future Income Earning Capability
8. Workforce Development to Enable Youth to Compete in the Job Market
9. Culturally Competent Services
10. Services That Respond to Survivors of Human Trafficking
Opportunity For Further Research And Data Collection
1. Periodic In-Depth National Studies on the Prevalence, Needs, and Characteristics of Runaway and Homeless Youth
2. Compilation of Annual Numbers Collected from Multiple Sources
3. More Cross-Agency Evaluations of Different Services and Housing Interventions for Runaway and Homeless Youth
4. National Household Survey
Collaboration: A National Framework To End Youth Homelessness Requires A Coordinated Spectrum Of Housing And Supportive Services
Steps Communities Should Take To Create A Plan To Prevent And End Youth Homelessness & Track Their Success

The National Network for Youth is thankful for the expertise of our membership and Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) who shared their expertise and worked tirelessly to write this publication.