Young families in the homeless crisis: challenges and solutions

This publication documents the key findings to emerge from a qualitative study of young parents experiencing homelessness in Ireland. The research aimed to identify the pathways into homelessness for a cohort of young parents (18–24 years), to understand their experiences of homeless services, and to examine the potential barriers they face in exiting homelessness. Conducted throughout the first half of 2018, during which time young parents and key stakeholders were interviewed, the study had the following aims: To understand the pathways into homelessness for young adult parents; To provide an insight into how these young parents contact, and interact with, statutory housing and homeless services; To collate the perceptions of both the young parents themselves and those working in front-line services with respect to this interaction; To investigate the impact of homelessness on the families with respect to family well-being, parenting skills, and how current policies influence these outcomes.; To explore whether young people face particular barriers in exiting homelessness and to capture their perceived housing options in this regard