Each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness, of which 700,000 are unaccompanied minors, meaning they are without a family or not accompanied by a parent or guardian.

On any given night, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 experience homelessness.

Homelessness among youth doesn’t always mean teens living on the streets or in shelters. Homelessness also includes couch surfing with friends or relatives, a temporary answer to what may be a long-term issue. 

Source: NCSL.org

• More than two-thirds of unsheltered teens, and 55% of sheltered unaccompanied teens, are male.
• Teen women or girls represent more than one-third (37%) of unaccompanied youth.
• 52% of homeless teens reported that they became homeless for the first time because they were asked to leave home by a parent or caregiver.
• 27% of LGBTQ+ youth who are homeless reported exchanging sex for basic needs compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ youth who reported having to exchange sex for basic needs.
• 62% of LGBTQ+ youth report being physically harmed while experiencing homelessness.

Source: Family Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness

At least 1 in 30 adolescents ages 13-17, experience some form of homelessness unaccompanied by a parent or guardian over the course of a year. 

• 29% of homeless teens report having substance misuse problems.
• 69% of homeless teens report mental health problems.
• 33% had once been part of the foster care system.
• 50% of homeless youth have been in the juvenile justice system, jail, or detention.

The lack of a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) remains the number one factor for elevated risk of teen homelessness.

Source: Family Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness