Past, Present, and Future Research on Youth Homelessness at Chapin Hall

Past, Present, and Future Research on Youth Homelessness at Chapin Hall

Agenda

• Voices of Youth Count
• Youth Homelessness Data Solutions Project
• System Assessment
• Direct Cash Transfers

Voices of Youth Count

Voices of Youth Count

National research and policy initiative designed to:

• Fill critical gaps in our knowledge about homeless youth
• Inform federal, state, and local policy development
• Improve service provision
• Build a foundation for future research
• Contribute to efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness

Funders

Voices of Youth Count Components

• Local point-in-time counts
• Youth, household, service provider, and CoC surveys
• In-depth youth interviews
• Intervention evidence reviews
• Policy analysis

Defining homelessness

Broad definition of homelessness

• Sheltered
• Unsheltered
• Unstably housed

Cook County Brief Youth Survey Results

Sample

• Surveyed 689 youth ages 13 to 25
• 89% age 18 and older

Over-represented groups

• Male Youths 56%
• Black Youth 65%
• LGBTQ Youth 25%

1/3 of the young women were pregnant or parents

SYSTEMS INVOLVEMENT

Half of the homeless youth in Cook County reported prior child welfare or justice system involvement

System involvement

• Detention or Incarceration only 26%
• Foster Care only 10%
• Both Detention or Incarceration and Foster Care 14%

Cook County In-depth Interview Results

Sample

• Interviewed 40 youth ages 13 to 25
• 90% age 18 and older

Over-represented Groups

• Male Youths 53%
• Black Youth 60%
• LGBTQ Youth 43%

System Involvement

• Foster Care 30%
• Detention/Jail/Prison 35%

History of Instability

• Abuse and neglect
• Parent mental illness or drug abuse
• Poverty
• Family homelessness*
• Family separation
• Bouncing around foster care placements

Foster care was part of a larger pattern of instability

PATHWAYS FROM FOSTER CARE INTO HOMELESSNESS

About half of the young people with a history of foster care had been reunified or adopted

Youth Homelessness Data Solutions Project

Funded by HUD to develop innovative methods for using linked administrative data

• Produce counts of homeless youth
• Estimate the prevalence and incidence of youth homelessness
• Describe the characteristics of the homeless youth population
• Analyze pathways into homelessness from youth-serving systems
• Identify predictors of youth homeless through those different pathways

Analyzing Linked Administrative Data from Multiple Sources in South Carolina

• South Carolina's four CoC's
• Department of Education
• Department of Social Services
• Department of Juvenile Justice
• Department of Mental Health

Systems Assessment

Young People Experiencing Homeless Need a Youth Centered Homelessness System that is Responsive to their Needs

• Developmentally appropriate services and supports reflective of youth preferences
• Based on an understanding of factors young people weigh when deciding whether to engage with a homeless service provider

Developing a Youth-centered Homelessness System

Understanding of the Current System

• What programs and services are available to young people experiencing homelessness?
• How many young people are being served by those and what are their characteristics?
• What is the system's capacity to serve those young people?
• What are the experiences of young people with the system?

Developing a Youth-centered Homelessness System

Understanding of the Factors Young People Consider When Accessing Services

• Is eligibility conditional upon rule compliance?
• Does the environment feel safe?
• Is the service provider perceived as trustworthy and nonjudgmental?
• How might their identity affect the treatment they receive?

Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

A Youth Homelessness System Assessment for New York city

May 2019

(Report)

Mixed Method Youth Homelessness System Rapid Assessment Method

• Agency data review
• Online survey of community-based organizations
• Youth focus groups
• Stakeholder focus groups & interviews

Pathways + Trust Youth

Direct Cash Transfers to Address Youth Homelessness

A Collaborative Process Shaped the Initiative

Building an Effective Cash Transfer Program for Youth

• Center on Youth, Equity, and Trust
• Adopt a Flexible and Simple Approach
• Boost Housing Stability and Empowerment
• Identify and Manage Barriers to Success

Pathways Study

• 30-month longitudinal study (monthly surveys, administrative data)
• Data sharing

Trust Youth Initiative

• Cash+ Program
• Cash + optional supportive services
• Implementation, process and outcomes evaluation

Early Findings

• Saving money/building a safety net
• Leveraging funds to pursue goals & explore career options
• More food secure and able to focus on education and employment goals if housed
• No negative consequences reported

Multisite Initiative

Questions and discussion

Upstream

Multi-tiered System of Support for Preventing Youth Homelessness and School Dropout

Education & Employment

• 56% of the 13 to 17-year-olds were attending school
• 60% of the 18 to 25-year-olds had a high school diploma or GED
• 47% of the 18 to 25-year-olds were working and/or in school