Areas with high income inequality in California often have the highest rates of youth homelessness. This is especially true when you consider all forms of youth homelessness, including couch surfing, unstable housing, family shelters, and living on the streets.
Income Inequality and Poverty Lead to Increased Youth Homelessness
37.9 Million
Nearly forty million people in the U.S. live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
< 50%
Less than half of American households have 3-months’ worth of savings.
45 Million
Millions of Americans do not have a credit score, a barrier to rental opportunities and homeownership.
Generational Cycle of Homelessness
The burden of poverty is not equally distributed among American children. Nationwide, 1 in 3 Black and Indigenous American children and 1 in 4 Latinx children grow up in poverty, compared to 1 in 9 white children. Childhood poverty directly correlates with experiencing homelessness in youth and young adulthood
Individuals that experience homelessness as a child have 40% higher odds of becoming homeless as an adult, even if the childhood episode of homelessness was a one-time, short experience.
Help Bridge the Wealth Gap
There are a number of ways we can help youth experiencing homelessness bridge the wealth gap and make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.
DONATE NOW
Know the Issues That Drive Youth Homelessness
Young people experiencing homelessness face numerous challenges and barriers that hinder their journey toward sustainable independence and a hope-filled future.
