Young people age 21 and under are some of the least visible and most vulnerable segments of persons who are homeless.
Wilder Homeless Youth Report -November 2008
Runaway and Homeless Youth Legislative Report
Who are homeless youth in Minnesota?
- 47% of the total homeless population in Minnesota are age 21 and younger
- 54% homeless youth 17 and under are from greater Minnesota
- 89% homeless youth 17 & younger are enrolled in school
- 70% report previous experiences in a foster home, group home, treatment center, or correctional facility, 2 out of 5 homeless youth had lived in a foster home
- 29% slept outside at least one night in October 2006
- 66% of homeless youth are Black, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic or of mixed race compared to 18% of all MN youth
- 49% report a significant mental health problem
- 51% had been physically or sexually mistreated
Why are young people homeless in Minnesota?
- The most common reasons sited by the MN Department of Human Services are a background of poverty, family conflict, child abuse and mental illness and/or chemical dependency issues of the youth or their family members.
- 63% cannot live with their families because of conflict or abuse
- 15% cannot live with their families because of lack of adequate housing or space
- 7% have been kicked out by their families because of their sexual orientation or gender identity
- 15% have a parent or guardian that cannot provide housing for them because of their own homelessness
- 71%have been in a county referred out-of-home placement (foster care, group home or corrections placement)
- 53% have experienced a foster care placement
How many youth are homeless?
An estimated 22,410 unaccompanied youth are runaway or homeless each year in Minnesota. During 2005, 3,414 youth benefited from emergency shelter or housing services, meeting
15 percent of the estimated need in Minnesota for a one year period.
The 2006 Wilder Survey indicates that the number of homeless youth has slightly increased, reporting that on any given night in Minnesota 550-650 youth 17 and under and 1300 youth 21 and under are homeless.
What Do Homeless Youth Need?
Report to the Legislature: Runaway and Homeless Youth in Minnesota published by the Department of Human Services in February of 2007 identifies the key needs of the continuum of services for homeless youth:
- Housing including emergency shelter, transitional living programs, and permanent supportive housing for youth with mental illness and/or chemical dependency issues.
- Transportation
- Youth employment programs
- Youth chemical dependency programs
- Culturally specific services
- Transition Services for county and state systems
- Health care
- Services for teen parents
- Services for sexually exploited youth