Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Homelessness in the United States.
PURPOSE
Unaccompanied youth homelessness is a serious concern. Response, however, has been constrained by the absence of credible data on the size and characteristics of the population and reliable means to track youth homelessness over time. We sought to address these gaps.


METHODS
Using a nationally representative phone-based survey (N = 26,161), we solicited household and individual reports on different types of youth homelessness. We collected household reports on adolescents aged 13-17 and young adults aged 18-25, as well as self-reports from young adults aged 18-25. Follow-up interviews with a subsample (n = 150) provided additional information on youth experiences and enabled adjustment for inclusion errors.


RESULTS
Over a 12-month period, approximately 3.0% of households with 13- to 17-year-olds reported explicit youth homelessness (including running away or being asked to leave) and 1.3% reported experiences that solely involved couch surfing, resulting in an overall 4.3% household prevalence of any homelessness, broadly defined. For 18- to 25-year-olds, household prevalence estimates were 5.9% for explicitly reported homelessness, 6.6% for couch surfing only, and 12.5% overall. The 12-month population prevalence estimates, available only for 18- to 25-year-olds, were 5.2%, 4.5%, and 9.7%, respectively. Incidence rates were about half as high as prevalence rates. Prevalence rates were similar across rural and nonrural counties. Higher risk of homelessness was observed among young parents; black, Hispanic, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth; and those who did not complete high school.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence and incidence of youth homelessness reveal a significant need for prevention and youth-centric systems and services, as well as strategies to address disproportionate risks of certain subpopulations.
['Morton|Matthew H|MH|', 'Dworsky|Amy|A|', 'Matjasko|Jennifer L|JL|', 'Curry|Susanna R|SR|', 'Schlueter|David|D|', 'Chávez|Raúl|R|', 'Farrell|Anne F|AF|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D005006:Ethnicity D005260:Female D018453:Homeless Youth D006801:Humans D008297:Male D015995:Prevalence D057566:Self Report D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D014481:United States D055815:Young Adult
Unaccompanied Adolescence Couch surfing At-risk youth Doubled up Housing insecurity Housing instability Runaway