Understanding the Needs of Unstably Housed Youth

Authors

Meredith Dank, PhD
Research Professor, New York University, Marron Institute of Urban Management

Andrea Hughes, LMSW
Qualitative Research Consultant

Geri Louise Dimas, PhD
Assistant Professor, Bryant University, Department of Information Systems and Analytics, Data Science

Yaren Bilge Kaya, PhD
Lecturer, Columbia University, Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Renata Konrad, PhD
Associate Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, The Business School

Kayse Lee Maass, PhD
Assistant Professor, Northeastern University, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Introduction

Youth experiencing unstable housing is a significant issue in the United States. It is estimated that at least one in 30 adolescents ages 13-17 and one in 10 youth ages 18-25 experience unstable housing over the course of a year (Morton, Dworsky, & Samuels, 2017). In New York City (NYC), the dearth of affordable housing and a lack of living-wage youth employment opportunities make it especially difficult for youth to find and remain in stable, safe housing. Over the last several years, NYC has seen an increase in school aged children and youth experiencing homelessness and unstable housing (AFC, 2023). In the 2021 annual count of homeless and unstably housed youth in NYC, 5734 youth ages 14 to 24 were found to be living in shelters, street homeless, or unstably housed (e.g., couch surfing) (HUD, 2022). LGBT+ youth and youth of color are disproportionately represented in the unstably housed youth population in NYC. In their 2020 annual report, the Office of Children and Family Services reported that Black and Latinx youth accounted for 72% of youth entering crisis services programs and 90% of youth entering Transitional Independent Living Programs (OCFS, 2020). In the 2021 NYC Youth Count, 53% of the youth reporting unsheltered or unstable housing identified as LGBQ, and 12% of youth identified as transgender/gender non-binary (HUD, 2022). Lastly, it is important to note that the vast majority of youth entering Runaway Homeless Youth (RHY) programs in NYC were 18 years of age and older (OCFS, 2020).

Service Needs and Utilization

The demographic composition of youth served by RHY programs has important implications for service delivery. Youth experiencing unstable housing present at RHY programs with complex histories and require a variety of approaches and services to best fit their needs (Semborski, Redline, Rhoades, & Henwood, 2020). Youth navigate unstable housing and homelessness in multiple ways, often cycling in and out of shelters, couch surfing, sleeping in public spaces, and returning to family members even if it is not safe for them. Access to shelter is one of the primary requests for youth utilizing RHY programs; however, youth may not be able to obtain or maintain a safe bed in RHY programming. Studies have found that LGBT+ youth and youth of color are more likely to couch surf or sleep outside than stay in a shelter due to lack of culturally competent shelters and prior negative experience with service providers and peers (Petry, Hill, Milburn, & Rice, 2022).

Accessing services is the most important first step in transitioning out of homelessness; therefore, it is essential that RHY programs are able to engage youth and remain a source of support. While youth accessing services report multiple needs such as emergency shelter, transitional housing, supportive housing, case management, counseling, and medical assistance, they often don’t take advantage of all the services and resources RHY programs have to offer (Prock & Kennedy, 2020). Youth are more likely to access services to take care of their basic 07 needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and may not engage in longer-term services such as case management and counseling because of lack of knowledge of the services available at the agency and distrust of service providers (Kort-Butler & Tyler, 2012; Yoshioka-Maxwell, 2022). Some youth may initially participate in longer-term services, but disengage before completing services due to transportation issues, punitive and unsupportive agency, shelter, and housing policies, long wait times for services, and lack of properly trained staff (Tan, et al., 2023).

Studies have shown that youth are more likely to stay connected to services when they are treated with respect and positive relationships (Ratliff et al, 2023). For transition aged youth with histories of trauma, homelessness, and mental health challenges accessing services, the most important thing for them was being treated with respect and understanding, and feeling a level of trust with the provider (McKormick, et al, 2023). Positive relationships with staff also contribute to feelings of safety in service provision, particularly for LGBT+ individuals who report feeling less safe in service settings than their cisgender, heterosexual peers (DiGuiseppi, et al., 2022).

Vulnerability to Human Trafficking

Traffickers rely on exploiting individuals who have experienced difficult life circumstances, such as homelessness, poverty, abuse, and neglect. Young people experiencing homelessness, and/or are in foster care, are at particularly high risk for both labor and sexual exploitation. Many unstably housed youth have experienced physical and sexual abuse prior to and during homelessness, and youth who experience child physical and sexual abuse are more likely to be victimized while homeless than those who did not experience abuse (Tyler & Schmitz, 2018; Tyler & Ray, 2019). Unstably housed youth frequently have a history of multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Youth with greater instances of ACEs are more vulnerable to human trafficking (Middleton, et al., 2024). Youth may engage in unsafe behaviors to have their needs met, such as having sex in exchange for food and a place to stay or running drugs to earn money, making them vulnerable to further exploitation (Dank, et al., 2015; Murphy, 2016). In addition, youth who come from unstable and abusive homes often do not have the developmental skills for their age or for navigating complicated systems such as those necessary for obtaining and maintaining affordable housing; thus, engagement in service provision is highly beneficial for transitioning into a stable, safe, and healthy adulthood. 

Purpose of This Study

Given the challenges of youth accessing services and service providers engaging those who do seek assistance, youth may decide to sleep unsheltered, stay with unsafe individuals, or enter precarious situations to meet their basic needs, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking.

The purpose of this study is to learn from unstably housed youth which services would be most helpful to better connect them to services that best fit their needs, thereby decreasing vulnerability to trafficking.

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