Why is youth homelessness an issue

Multiple, and often intersecting, forms of oppression lead to youth homelessness. Read more about the root causes of homelessness here. Approximately 4. That amounts to one in ten young adults ages and one in thirty youth ages The research on youth homelessness in Canada and the United States is pretty consistent. The main causes include:. Rotheram-Boris, Mahler, Koopman and Langabeer estimate that street youth are five times more likely to report being victims of sexual abuse as children.

In addition, we do know that depending on the jurisdiction, many teenagers may lose the support of the child welfare system as they get older, or if they opt out. All of these factors can lead to extreme poverty, and when combined with other challenges in the home, with the legal system , can lead to homelessness.

In Canada, many young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered continue to experience discrimination in their homes, neighbourhoods, at school and in their communities. This discrimination, which is often coupled with violence, may make staying at home intolerable, and hence, many young people in this situation hit the streets. In addition, as teenagers get older, it may be more difficult for families to continue to support them financially.

Many young people become homeless not because they are chased from home, but because their poverty means they can no longer stay there.

Young people then look to live with friends, or go to new places to seek new economic opportunities. However, if the jobs are not there, they may become homeless.

When one considers the causes of youth homelessness, it is clear that for the vast majority, involvement in the street youth lifestyle is not about choice. It is also important to remember that for any particular young person who becomes homeless, the causes may be complex, and not reducable to a single event or issue. That is, poverty may be linked with discrimination. Any combination of factors can then contribute to problems at school, involvement in crime, or addictions, which may make life at home problematic.

Family is very important and when there is conflict and violence within families it can have a devastating impact on the life of young people and result in them having to leave home. Young women are more likely to have had experience of family violence and they usually have the responsibility for bringing up one or more children alone. Young perpetrators of family violence are often linked with drug use. Young people experiencing homelessness are often anxious and depressed about their safety and future.

Mental health issues can be the cause and outcome of a young person experiencing homelessness. This makes it harder for a young person to be healthy and feel well enough to find a stable home, get their life back on track and reconnect with their family, friends and community.

Abuse of substances can also happen during their experience of homelessness. Sometimes young people have been pressured by their family to leave home because of the family's financial problems or overcrowding. Young people most often try to use their networks to get alternative accommodation.

However, most young people are only able to stay at friends' and families' places for short periods until they are either asked to move on, or they have taken the initiative to leave, recognising pressures on the household due to their presence. Homeless young people are less likely to stay engaged with school, find jobs, get access to rental housing and maintain friendships.

They are more likely to experience depression, poor nutrition, substance abuse and mental health problems. In fact, without the right support, many will struggle with homelessness their entire lives. Not having a home also puts people on the margins of society where they encounter prejudice and find it difficult to access mainstream services, such as the local doctor. When someone experiences homelessness, they are often denied the opportunity to participate in the community in a meaningful way.

From a purely economic perspective, it makes sense to prevent youth homelessness.