link to page 1 
May 3, 2016
Runaway and Homeless Youth: Recent Federal Support and
FY2016 Appropriations
Introduction
provides street-based education and outreach to runaway,
Youth under age 25 are considered to be homeless or
homeless, and street youth who have been subjected to, or
runaways if they cannot remain in a safe environment with
are at risk of being subjected to, sexual abuse and
a relative and lack safe alternative living arrangements, or
exploitation. Related services authorized by the Runaway
leave home while under the age of 18 without the
and Homeless Youth program include a phone hotline to
permission of their relatives. Since the 1970s, the federal
facilitate communication between service providers,
government has supported efforts to provide these youth
runaway youth, and their families; and technical assistance
with shelter and services. More recent federal efforts are
to service providers. Figure 1 includes funding for the
targeted to improving access to services and ending youth
program from FY2001 through FY2016.
homelessness. This In Focus accompanies CRS Report
RL33785, Runaway and Homeless Youth: Demographics
Figure 1. Appropriations for the Runaway and
and Programs.
Homeless Youth Program, FY2001-FY2016
Dollars in thousands
Federal Strategy to End Youth
Homelessness
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
(USICH), established in 1987 as part of the McKinney-
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77), is made up
of several federal agencies, including HHS, the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). USICH
created a plan in 2010, entitled Opening Doors, which sets
out four goals on ending homelessness. One of the goals is
to prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and
children by 2020. In 2012, USICH amended Opening
Doors to specifically address strategies for assisting
homeless youth and for improving the educational
outcomes for homeless children and youth.
The strategies for preventing and ending youth
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from
homelessness include (1) obtaining more comprehensive
HHS.
information on the scope of youth homelessness; (2)
building an evidence base of the most effective
Activities Supported by HUD
interventions for different subsets of youth; and (3)
Generally, funding appropriated to HUD for services to
improving access to emergency assistance, housing, and
homeless individuals has not specifically targeted youth;
supports for historically underserved groups of youth. In
however, such funding has been provided more recently.
2015, the USICH released guidance that is intended to help
local communities coordinate efforts to prevent and end
Continuum of Care (CoC) Program: The CoC
youth homelessness. A 2016 USICH report to Congress by
program is the major component of HUD’s Homeless
USICH outlines efforts to better coordinate federal
Assistance Grants, and supports longer-term housing
programs that assist runaway and homeless youth.
and services for homeless individuals and families. (The
Homeless Assistance Grants account is the primary
Runaway and Homeless Youth Program
source of funding at HUD targeted to assist individuals
The Runaway and Homeless Youth program was created in
who are homeless.) Funds for the CoC program are
1974 under the Runaway Youth Act (P.L. 93-415). It is
awarded to communities. The CoC funding
made up of three components—the Basic Center Program
announcement for FY2015 is the second (after the
(BCP), Transitional Living Program (TLP), and Street
FY2013-FY2014 announcement) to specify that local
Outreach Program (SOP). The BCP provides temporary
continuums may score points in their CoC application
shelter, counseling, and after care services to approximately
for serving youth.
30,000 runaway and homeless youth under age 18 and their
families each year. The TLP provides longer-term housing
Comprehensive Approach: The FY2016
and supportive services annually to about 3,000 youth ages
appropriations law (P.L. 114-113) sets aside up to $33
16 through 22 (and sometimes an older age). The SOP
million from the Homeless Assistance Grants account to
implement projects that demonstrate how a
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“comprehensive approach” can “dramatically reduce”
Number and Characteristics
homelessness for youth through age 24. The law directs
Estimates of the number and characteristics of runaway and
this funding to up to 10 communities, including at least
homeless youth depend on how counts take place, and may
four rural communities. HUD is in the process of
depend on the capacity of researchers and communities to
soliciting input about how funds could be used under the
conduct counts. Estimates also depend on which definitions
project. Up to an additional $5 million of the Homeless
of homelessness and runaway are used. Definitions vary
Assistance Grants is to be made available for related
among federal programs that serve these youth.
technical assistance and “collection, analysis, and
reporting of data and performance measures.”
Point-in-Time Counts and Youth Count!
USICH and its federal partners are working with
Third Party Eligibility: The FY2016 appropriations
communities to develop better estimates of homeless youth
law specifies that youth through age 24 (including those
who are not accompanied by their parents or guardians. The
with children) seeking assistance under the Homeless
primary source of data is from point-in-time (PIT) counts.
Assistance Grant account are not required to provide
HUD requires communities receiving funds through the
third party documentation to establish their eligibility or
Homeless Assistance Grants to conduct annual PIT counts
to receive services. This language appears to be in
of people experiencing homelessness, including homeless
response to communities that have reported difficulty
youth: those under age 25 who are (1) not part of a family
determining how youth meet HUD’s definition of
(“unaccompanied youth”) or (2) parents with their children
homelessness (which varies from the Runaway and
and not accompanied by an adult over age 25 (“parenting
Homeless Youth program definition) and what is
youth”). The count includes youth who are sheltered (in
required in terms of documenting homeless status.
shelters or transitional housing) or unsheltered (the streets
and other places not meant for human habitation). In 2013,
Technical Assistance and Evaluation: The
USICH provided assistance to nine communities under the
accompanying report (House Rules Committee Print
Youth Count! initiative. This assistance was intended to
114-39) to P.L. 114-113 directs that $2.5 million
help communities in general implement strategies for
appropriated for HUD is to be used to evaluate youth
identifying homeless youth. Table 1 displays the
homelessness programs, in conjunction with HHS.
characteristics of youth captured in the 2015 PIT count. The
PIT count is not intended to represent the total number of
Prevalence and Incidence Study: The accompanying
youth who experience homelessness in a given year, and is
report to P.L. 114-113 directs HUD to use $2.0 million
not a comprehensive national count of the population.
to conduct a national incidence and prevalence study of
homeless youth as authorized under the Runaway and
Table 1. Demographics of Youth in 2015 PIT Count
Homeless Youth program.
n= 46,808 unaccompanied and parenting youth combined
LGBTQ Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiative:
Characteristics
% of Youth Population
HUD and the True Colors Funds, a non-profit
Under age 18
12.6
organization, have provided technical assistance since
Ages 18-24
87.4
FY2013 to Cincinnati, OH, and Houston, TX, for
identifying strategies to ensure that no young person
Female
49.9
goes homeless because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual,
Male
49.3
transgendered, or questioning (LGBTQ).
Transgender
0.8
Education for Homeless Children and
White
48.9
Youths
African American
38.5
The Education for Homeless Children and Youths program
Asian
1.0
was established in 1987 under the McKinney-Vento Act in
Native American
2.7
the Department of Education. This program assists state
Pacific Islander
1.1
education agencies (SEAs) to ensure that all homeless
Multiple Races
7.9
children and youth have equal access to the same,
Non-Hispanic
77.6
appropriate education, including public preschool
Hispanic
22.4
education, that is provided to other children and youth.
Grants made by SEAs to local education agencies (LEAs)
Parenting
21.2
under this program must be used to facilitate the
Not Parenting
78.8
enrollment, attendance, transportation to school, and
Sheltered
62.6
success in school of homeless children and youth. Program
Unsheltered
37.4
funds may be appropriated for activities such as tutoring,
supplemental instruction, and referral services for homeless
Source: CRS, based on HUD, The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment
children and youth, as well as providing them with medical,
Report (AHAR) to Congress, November 2015.
dental, mental, and other health services. During school
year 2013-2014, nearly 1.3 million homeless children and
Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Specialist in Social
youth were eligible for services. FY2016 funding for the
Policy
program is $70 million.
IF10402
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Runaway and Homeless Youth: Recent Federal Support and FY2016 Appropriations
Disclaimer
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