Federal Support for Runaway and Homeless Youth
March 26, 2019
Federal Support for Homeless and Runaway Youth
Since the 1970s, the federal government has funded shelter
parents with their children and are not accompanied by an
and services for homeless youth unaccompanied by their
adult over age 25 (parenting youth). In the 2018 PIT count,
parents, including youth who run away from home. This
communities identified 36,010 unaccompanied youth under
brief discusses these and other federal efforts to support this
age 25 (versus 40,799 in 2017) and another 8,724 under age
population.
25 who were homeless parents (versus 9,434 in 2017).
Goal to End Youth Homelessness
HUD has funded the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall
and its partners to collect data through a project known as
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
Voices of Youth Count, to better determine the number of
(USICH), established in 1987 as part of the McKinney-
homeless youth. A 2017 report summarizes data from a
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77), is made up
nationally representative phone survey of adults whose
of representatives from several federal agencies. They
households had individuals ages 13 to 25 and respondents
include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
ages 18 to 25. The study estimated that approximately
(HHS), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
700,000 youth ages 13 to 17 and 3.5 million young adults
Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of
ages 18 to 25 experienced homelessness within a 12-month
Education (ED). USICH created a plan in 2010 entitled
period, meaning they were sleeping in places not meant for
Opening Doors, which sets out goals for ending
living, staying in shelters, or temporarily staying with
homelessness. One of the goals is to prevent homelessness
others while lacking a safe and stable alternative living
for families, youth, and children, and end it by 2020.
arrangement. The study also found that youth in rural and
urban areas are affected by homelessness at similar levels.
In 2012, USICH amended Opening Doors to outline
In addition, certain youth ages 18 to 25 are at heightened
strategies for preventing and ending youth homelessness,
risk of experiencing homelessness, including those who are
including (1) obtaining more comprehensive information on
Hispanic or black; parenting and unmarried; or lesbian, gay,
the scope of youth homelessness; (2) building an evidence
bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ).
base of the most effective interventions for different subsets
of youth; and (3) improving access to emergency
Housing and Social Supports
assistance, housing, and supports for historically
HHS administers the Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY)
underserved groups of youth. In recent years, USICH has
program, which was created in 1974 under the Runaway
issued reports on the scope of youth homelessness, gaps in
Youth Act (P.L. 93-415). It is made up of three
data and research on the homeless youth population, and
components—the Basic Center Program (BCP),
how communities can coordinate services.
Transitional Living Program (TLP), and Street Outreach
Numbers of Homeless Youth
Program (SOP). It also funds the National Runaway
Estimates of the number and characteristics of homeless
Safeline, which provides counseling and support to
youth depend on how counts take place, and may depend on
homeless and runaway youth and the adults in their lives.
the capacity of researchers and communities to conduct
counts. Estimates also depend on which definitions of
The BCP provides temporary shelter, counseling, and after-
homelessness are used. Definitions vary among studies of
care services to runaway and homeless youth under age 18
these youth and the federal programs that serve them. For
and their families each year. BCP grants are allocated
example, some do not count youth as homeless if they are
directly to community-based organizations for a three-year
staying with others due to an unstable living situation.
period. Funding is generally distributed to organizations
based on the proportion of the nation’s youth under age 18
USICH and its federal partners are working with
in the jurisdiction where the organizations are located. The
communities to develop better estimates of the number of
50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico receive
homeless youth who are not accompanied by their parents
a minimum allotment of $200,000. Territories (currently,
or guardians. The primary source of data is from point-in-
American Samoa and Guam) receive a minimum of
time (PIT) counts. HUD requires communities receiving
$70,000. In FY2017, the program served 23,288 youth, and
funds through its Homeless Assistance Grants, which fund
in FY2018 it funded 280 BCP shelters (the most recent
housing and services for homeless persons, to conduct
figures available).
annual PIT counts of people experiencing homelessness.
HUD’s PIT counts include people living in emergency
The TLP funds three-year grants to community-based
shelter, transitional housing, and on the street or other
organizations to provide longer-term housing and
places not meant for human habitation. They do not include
supportive services—including educational and
people who are temporarily living with family or friends.
employment skills, and mental and physical health care—to
These counts identify homeless youth under age 25 who are
youth ages 16 to 22 (including pregnant and parenting
(1) not part of a family (unaccompanied youth) or (2)
youth and their children). Youth may remain at TLP sites
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Federal Support for Homeless and Runaway Youth
for up to 18 months, or longer if they are under age 18. In
LGBTQ Youth Who Experience Homelessness
FY2017, the program served 3,517 youth, and in FY2018 it
In FY2016, HHS began the Transitional Living Program
funded 299 grantees (the most recent figures available).
Special Population Demonstration project. The project
HHS is conducting a study to learn more about the long-
funded nine grantees over a two-year period that tested
term outcomes of 1,250 youth who have used TLP services.
approaches for serving LGBTQ runaway and homeless
youth ages 16 to 21 (and young adults who have left foster
The SOP provides street-based education and outreach to
care after the ages of 18 to 21). Grantees were expected to
runaway, homeless, and street youth who have been or are
implement strategies that help youth build protective
at risk of being subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation.
factors, such as connections with appropriate family
The SOP funds community-based organizations to provide
members and other caring adults. A process evaluation is to
crisis intervention, information and referrals, and treatment
assess how grantees are implementing the demonstration
and counseling in unsheltered locations. As reported in
project. HHS also funded a project from FY2012 through
2016, HHS found through interviews with 656 SOP
FY2014 to build the capacity of TLP grantees in serving
participants in 11 cities that they were homeless for an
LGBTQ youth. Known as the “3/40 Blueprint,” the purpose
average of nearly two years and had substance abuse and
of the grant was to develop information about serving
mental health disorders and exposure to trauma. In FY2017,
LGBTQ youth who are homeless, such as identifying
the SOP grantees made contact with 24,366 youth.
innovative intervention strategies, determining culturally
Other services authorized by the RHY program include a
appropriate screening and assessment tools, and better
hotline to facilitate communication between service
understanding the needs of LGBTQ youth served by
providers, runaway youth, and their families; and technical
runaway and homeless youth providers. Separately, HUD
assistance to grantees. Funding for the program was most
and its partners used FY2013 appropriations to provide
recently authorized for FY2019 and FY2020 (P.L. 115-
technical assistance to Cincinnati, OH, and Houston, TX,
385). Figure 1 includes funding for FY2001-FY2019.
for identifying strategies to ensure that no young people go
homeless because they are LGBTQ.
Figure 1. Appropriations for the Runaway and
Homeless Youth Program, FY2001-FY2019
Educational Supports
The Education for Homeless Children and Youths program
was established in 1987 under the McKinney-Vento Act.
This program is administered by ED and funds state
education agencies (SEAs) to ensure all homeless children
and youth have equal access to the same, appropriate
education that is provided to other children and youth.
Grants made by SEAs to local education agencies (LEAs)
under this program must be used to facilitate the
enrollment, attendance, transportation to school, and
success in school of homeless youth. Funds may be used for
services such as tutoring, supplemental instruction, health
services, and referrals. During school year 2016-2017, more
Source: CRS, based on data from HHS.
than 1.3 million homeless children and youth were eligible
for services (an increase of 6% compared to SY2015-2016).
Separately, HUD appropriation laws for FY2016 through
This included more than 118,000 unaccompanied youth.
FY2019 have included certain directives concerning
FY2019 funding is $93.5 million.
homeless youth. The laws have directed HUD to set aside
funds from the Homeless Assistance Grants appropriation
The Higher Education Act (HEA) authorizes financial aid
to implement projects that demonstrate how coordination
and support programs for homeless youth to aspire to, pay
within communities can “dramatically reduce”
for, and graduate from college. For purposes of applying for
homelessness for youth through age 24. Grants are to be
federal financial aid, a student’s expected family
made available for related technical assistance and
contribution (EFC) is the amount that can be expected to be
“collection, analysis, and reporting of data and performance
contributed by a student and the student’s family toward his
measures.” In response, HUD awarded $33 million to 10
or her cost of education. Certain groups of students are
communities with FY2016 funds and $43 million to 11
considered “independent,” meaning that only the income
communities with FY2017 funds. The appropriations laws
and assets of the student (and not parents or guardians) are
have also specified that youth through age 24 (including
counted. This includes youth under age 24 who have been
those with children) seeking assistance under the Homeless
verified by certain education officials or social service
Assistance Grants are not required to provide third-party
providers during the school year as either (1)
documentation to establish their eligibility or to receive
unaccompanied and homeless or (2) unaccompanied, self-
services. This language appears to be in response to
supporting, and at risk of homelessness. The HEA also
communities that have reported difficulty determining how
authorizes the TRIO programs, which are designed to
youth meet HUD’s definition of homelessness (which
identify potential postsecondary students from
varies from the RHY program definition) and what is
disadvantaged backgrounds, including homeless youth, to
required in terms of documenting homeless status.
prepare them for higher education; provide certain support
services to them while they are in college; and train
individuals who provide these services. FY2019
appropriations for TRIO programs are $1.1 billion.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Federal Support for Homeless and Runaway Youth
IF11152
Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Specialist in Social
Policy
Disclaimer
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