11 Facts About Homeless Teens

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1. According to HUD's 2014 Point-in-Time Report, 34% of the total homeless population is under 24.^[U.S. Department for Housing and Development. "HUD's 2014 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations." 2014. Accessed February 18, 2015.]
2. Some homeless children and youth are with their families. In 2014, however, 45,205 were unaccompanied. Post flyers in your community to educate homeless teens on resources and services. Sign up for Flyer Away.^[U.S. Department for Housing and Development. "HUD's 2014 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations." 2014. Accessed February 18, 2015.]
3. About 80% of homeless youth (aged 12-21) use drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with the traumatic experiences and abuse they face.^[Greene, J.M., S.T. Ennett, and C.L. Ringwalt. "Substance use among runaway and homeless youth in three national samples." American Journal of Public Health, 1997. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
4. The Department of Justice estimates that every year, over 1.7 million teens experience homelessness in the US. Post flyers in your community to educate homeless teens on resources and services.^[National Alliance to End Homelessness. "An Emerging Framework for Ending Unaccompanied Youth Homelessness." National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2012. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
5. According to estimates by the Urban Institute, nearly 1 in 5 youths under the age of 18 will run away at least once.^[Pergamit, Michael R. "On the Lifetime Prevalence of Running Away from Home." The Urban Institute, 2010. Accessed February 18, 2015.]
6. Approximately 40% of homeless teens identify as LGBT.^[Durso, L.E., and G.J. Gates. "Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Service Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth who are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless." The Williams Institute with True Colors Fund and The Palette Fund, 2012. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
7. Family rejection on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was the most frequently cited factor contributing to LGBT homelessness (46%).^[Durso, L.E., and G.J. Gates. "Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Service Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth who are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless." The Williams Institute with True Colors Fund and The Palette Fund, 2012. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
8. Over 50% of young people in shelters and on the streets report that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving and didn't care.^[Pergamit, Michael, Michelle Ernst, Jennifer Benoit-Bryan, and Joel Kessel. "Why They Run: An In-Depth Look at America's Runaway Youth." The Urban Institute, 2010. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
9. A 2002 report on sexual abuse among adolescent runaways, prepared for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that 21-40% of homeless youth had been sexually abused compared to 1-3% of the general youth population.^[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families. "Sexual Abuse Among Homeless Adolescents: Prevalence, Correlates, and Sequelae." USHHS, 2002. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
10. Of youth who run away, 41% have been abandoned by their parents for at least 24 hours and 43% have been beaten by a caretaker.^[Tyler, K. "A Qualitative Study of Early Family Histories and Transitions of Homeless Youth." Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2006. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]
11. HIV rates for homeless people are 3 to 9 times higher than reported rates for comparative samples in the US. A study across four cities found a prevalence of 2.3% for homeless youth under 25.^[Robertson, Marjorie. "Homeless Youth on Their Own." Alcohol Research Group, 2000. Web Accessed February 18, 2015.]