Know the Facts

It is unimaginable that there are kids right now, in our own communities, completely on their own without any support. These kids are our Nation’s invisible homeless population, undercounted for years, hiding out in cars and abandoned buildings, in motels and on couches. We know that the number of teens and young adults living on the streets is only growing.

The facts we can’t ignore:

4.2 million experience homelessness each year in the U.S.Source: NCSL/National Conference of State Legislatures

5,000 will die due to assault, illness, or suicide each yearSource: Safe Harbor Center

69% suffer from mental health problemsSource: Covenant House

1 in 5 will become victim to sex and labor trafficking or bothSource: National Network for Youth

75% will drop out of schoolSource: National Network for Youth

120% more likely to experience homelessness if LGBTQ+ Source: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

Every day, youth are exposed to:

Human trafficking

Acute diseases

Sexual assault

Physical assaultUnwanted pregnancies

Drugs and alcohol misuse

Untreated mental illness

Suicide

You can learn more about youth homelessness from the National Network for Youth, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness.