Homelessness Interventions for the Youth

Objective: Gather information on the current policies and interventions used in the United States to form a comprehensive understanding of what has been successful and what has failed in their implementation that has led to the current epidemic of homelessness among the youth and young adult population in the United States. Background: In a nation boasting wealth and success, the United States continues to fall short when it comes to taking care of its overwhelming homeless population. A specific area of concern within this population comes with the alarming number of young adults and children that experience homelessness every year. Homelessness in the United States is an epidemic currently, but leaving the younger generation exposed to trauma of this magnitude leaves scars for years to come. Many interventions for decreasing homelessness primarily focus on adult populations, with independent housing, job placement, and drug rehabilitation as the priorities, and often the youth are overlooked. This review aims to identify, analyze, and criticize current policy for homelessness interventions in the American youth in hopes of bringing forth the best possible interventions for success. Research Strategies: Systematic review of research published on PubMed, ScienceDirect, NCBI, and other public health journals and news outlets to examine qualitative variables effecting homelessness and quantitative data outlining the demographics of the current homeless population. Then examining local, state, and national policies and interventions to review current policies and benefits allotted to youths experiencing poverty and homelessness. Expectations: Homelessness has always been a focal point of public health policy and state and local legislatures largely dictate how and when interventions are to be implemented. With larger homeless populations found in densely populated cities, and often Democratically led cities, much of blame has fallen upon those legislatures, as resources are scarcer, and cost of living continues to rise. Examining how these legislations have distributed these resources, and where research has shown interventions being most successful will shed light on the most effective methods that can become more common practice on a national scale and lead to systemic change in how the United States combats youth homelessness