This blog post continues this week’s series on homeless youth and the announcement of our new report, Without a Home and More: Homeless Youth Count 2015.  The previous blog posts described the characteristics of homeless youth, causes of youth homelessness, characteristics of youth homelessness, and assistance that homeless and unstably housed youth need.

With 46,000 homeless youth in 2015, it is important to determine not only the
assistance needed by youth experiencing and at-risk of homelessness, but the
obstacles and difficulties that prevent, delay, or burden such youth when seeking
assistance and obtaining shelter and housing.  In our report and in this blog post, we
summarize barriers to assistance that youth at five of the fifteen survey locations
reported facing in attempting to access assistance – eligibility, accessibility, comfort,
documentation and language, and transportation – and specific barriers to staying in shelters or permanent housing.

Some homeless youth are unable to obtain assistance because of eligibility requirements.  Overall, between 2% and 22% of homeless youth surveyed reported they did not receive assistance because they did not qualify.  In addition to not obtaining assistance because they were not eligible, some homeless youth had their benefits taken away and between 13% and 37% were placed on a waitlist.  In San Francisco, between 3% and 14% of homeless youth reported that their age prevented them from receiving emergency shelter, transitional housing, employment, government assistance, or permanent housing.  In addition, in Houston, 22% of the 165 homeless youth surveyed who had traveled to a shelter and not stayed the night reported that they did not stay because they were ineligible because of their age.

In addition to being ineligible for programs, not having money to apply for programs, and being on a waitlist, some homeless youth reported they were unable to obtain assistance because of eligibility rules.  In three separate locations, 6% of youth reported they did not obtain assistance because there were too many rules because or because they could not access or find services for people their age and 2% of youth reported they did not obtain assistance because of substance abuse.  In addition, in Houston, 55% of the 165 homeless youth surveyed who had traveled to a shelter and not stayed the night reported that they did not stay because the shelter was full, 4% did not stay because they could not stay with their children, and 18% did not stay because they did not like the shelter rules.

Homeless youth reported they are unable to obtain assistance because they did not apply, they did not hear back, they did not follow through, they felt uncomfortable, and they lacked motivation.  Overall, between 5% and 16% reported they did not ask for help or never applied, between 2% and 24% reported they did not hear back, between 4% and 23% reported they did not follow through, between 3% and 14% reported they felt staff were not friendly or felt uncomfortable, and 2% reported a lack of motivation.  In addition, in Houston, 29% of the 165 homeless youth surveyed who had traveled to a shelter and not stayed the night reported they did not stay because they felt uncomfortable in the shelter and 9% did not stay because they did not feel safe staying in the shelter.

Homeless youth report that documentation and language has prevented them from obtaining assistance.  Overall, between 2% and 38% reported that lack of ID or
documentation, between 3% and 12% reported that paperwork, between 2% and 37% reported that language barriers, and 3% reported that the lack of a permanent address impaired their ability or prevented them from obtaining assistance.

Homeless youth have reported that transportation difficulties have made it difficult or prevented them from obtaining assistance.  Overall, between 3% and 32% of homeless youth surveyed had difficulty or did not obtain assistance because of physical mobility, they did not know where to go, they were sent somewhere else, or they lacked transportation.  In five locations, between 8% and 26% of homeless youth surveyed had difficulty or did not obtain assistance because they did not know where to go.  In three locations, between 7% and 8% reported they had difficulty or did not obtain assistance because they were sent somewhere else.  Also, in three locations, between 8% and 32% reported they had difficulty or did not obtain assistance because of a lack of transportation.  In addition, in one location, 3% reported they did not obtain assistance because of physical mobility.

Homeless youth report numerous barriers to obtaining permanent housing.  The most commonly reported reasons in San Francisco were they could not afford rent and they did not have a job or enough income with 56% reporting they could not afford rent.  The third most common reason reported was that there was no housing available.  Other reasons that were mentioned by the homeless youth surveyed included the paperwork and that they did not have the necessary identification, criminal record, credit history, eviction record, medical/health issues, lack of money for moving costs and transportation, and child care costs.

To prevent and end homelessness of the nation’s youth, the barriers that prevent or delay assistance for homeless and unstably housed youth must be determined and removed so that the youth can obtain and retain housing and other basic necessities.  The report and the last blog post in this series will provide policy recommendation to reduce youth homelessness.