Participatory Research: Youth & Young Adult Homelessness

Perceptions: Exploring Youth Homelessness Prevention and Diversion in the United States

“In my experience most young people want support but they are at the bottom
and looking up is daunting. There’s a thousand steps between sleeping on a
park bench to getting an apartment and it seems unattainable and that’s a system failure.”

— young adult

Recent literature documents the widespread problem of youth homelessness, particularly among marginalized groups such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth and youth who are Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC). Despite agreement by the majority of service provider respondents that poverty and the lack of affordable housing are causally linked to youth homelessness, the most prevalent response to this social problem has been reactive; the focus of policy, funding and service provision has historically been on providing emergency services once a young person is already experiencing homelessness. There is little research about existing efforts to prevent homelessness among youth or to keep youth out of homelessness systems. This report summarizes findings from an exploratory research study that examined youth homelessness prevention and diversion services in the United States.

The research for this report was conducted through a participatory action research method. Young people with lived expertise of housing instability and homelessness were equal and active partners throughout the research process.

Young adult respondents overwhelmingly indicated economic supports (rental assistance, housing vouchers, affordable housing) as necessary to avoiding experiences of homelessness. However, few service providers report offering economic interventions for young adults.

Here’s an inside look at the recommendations that came out of the report:

Download the report here!

National LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Research Agenda

We believe that LGBTQ+ youth with lived expertise related to homelessness are the experts and should be at the forefront of the movement to address LGBTQ+ youth homelessness. As such, a team of 12 young people led the development of the research agenda. The research team analyzed data gathered at the town hall, supplemented the data with their own knowledge, and developed research topics, sample research questions, values to guide researchers, and tips for engaging young people both as research participants and also as researchers. The research topics and questions are organized using the four core outcomes outlined by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (stable housing, social and emotional well-being, permanent connections, education/employment), with additional categories of importance added by the research team.

The purpose of this national research agenda on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness - the first of its kind - is to ensure our movement is backed by the data we need in order to create real and lasting change. It is our hope that this document will enable researchers across sectors to investigate the topics and questions within, in collaboration with one another and alongside LGBTQ+ young people.