Youth Homelessness Prevention

A special issue of Youth (ISSN 2673-995X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 8231

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
Interests: knowledge mobilization to advance social innovation; community-engaged scholarship, poverty, education, homelessness

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7M 5R7, Canada
Interests: educational leadership; international and comparative education; equity and social justice in education

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Guest Editor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
Interests: youth cultures; citizenship; democracy; social inclusion and exclusion; globalization/neoliberalism; social movements; urban sociology; homelessness; education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapidly changing sociopolitical contexts, fiscal constraints, and sudden events such as population health crises are macro level challenges that magnify pre-existing issues with which marginalized and at-risk children and youth contend. Especially in these times, social justice and equity issues become more visible as problems escalate for these young people, exposing them to increased risk and exacerbated inequities, far too often leading to homelessness.

Research shows that the consequences for youth experiencing homelessness can manifest in numerous, interconnected ways. Youths without a home tend to suffer from malnourishment, extreme stress, and inadequate healthcare (e.g., untreated infections and inadequate or lack of medications). Their experiences are characterized by social and emotional crises and social exclusion, which is largely caused or exacerbated by having to relocate between unstable—and often unsafe—living situations. Given all of these challenges, it should not be surprising that so many homeless youths (50.5%) are not in employment, education or training—in stark contrast to their peers at 12–14% (Gaetz, 2016). The largely crisis-oriented responses to youth homelessness are costly, at the societal, systems, and individual levels. Billions are spent on emergency management across systems in Western nations such as Canada (Gaetz et al., 2016), while youth potential is wasted as they struggle to survive instead of thriving. Globally, formal declarations have profiled certain basic human rights. For instance, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights articulates certain rights, such as to food, clothing, and housing (Article 11), and to standards of physical and mental health (Article 12). Additionally, many of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to reduce systemic barriers that are features of the lived experiences of homeless youth (e.g., poverty, food insecurity, poor health, poor wellbeing, gender inequality). It is clear that better solutions are needed to address such problems—importantly, preventing them from happening in the first place. However, while prevention efforts are an ‘easy sell’ initially, for both moral and economic reasons, they are rarely sustained, as they can be unexpectedly complex, typically requiring unanticipated long-term resource commitments without the ability to demonstrate the concrete impacts required by funders (Cairney and Denny, 2020).

This Special Issue aims to address these challenges by featuring studies on efforts to prevent youth homelessness in areas such as mental health, housing, education, and social services. We welcome interdisciplinary studies across international contexts with diverse methodological approaches (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and conceptual), particularly studies that are equity-focused and illuminate cross-sector collaboration. Collectively, the papers in this issue will contribute key insights and evidence to research, policy, and practice to move prevention efforts forward and advance dialogue about the unique challenges and opportunities that lie within a much-needed focus on youth homelessness prevention.

Dr. Jacqueline Sohn
Dr. Rebecca Stroud
Dr. Jacqueline Kennelly
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Youth is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • at-risk children/youth
  • children/youth in crisis
  • marginalized children/youth
  • homeless youth
  • youth homelessness prevention

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1718 KiB  
Article
The ‘Community of Schools and Services’ (COSS) Model of Early Intervention: A System-Changing Innovation for the Prevention of Youth Homelessness
by David MacKenzie, Tammy Hand and Peter Gill
Youth 2024, 4(3), 1305-1321; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030082 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 571
Abstract
Prevention and early intervention have become part of the Australian policy discourse; however, the prevention and early intervention of youth homelessness remain significantly underdeveloped and underfunded in practice. Consequently, too many young people experience homelessness. This article presents the ‘Community of Schools and [...] Read more.
Prevention and early intervention have become part of the Australian policy discourse; however, the prevention and early intervention of youth homelessness remain significantly underdeveloped and underfunded in practice. Consequently, too many young people experience homelessness. This article presents the ‘Community of Schools and Services’ (COSS) Model as an innovative approach to the prevention of youth homelessness. The COSS Model is an Australian place-based collective impact approach that uses data gathered via population screening in secondary schools to identify and then support adolescents at risk of homelessness and also reorganizes the local support system available to vulnerable young people and their families. This paper is not the result of a research project. Rather, this paper presents the findings of the Embedded Development and Outcomes Measurement (EDOM) report, which is a feature of the COSS Model. This paper is limited to findings from the COSS Model implementation in Albury, NSW, known as the Albury Project, from 2019 to 2023. The Albury Project has demonstrated significant reductions in the risk of homelessness and entry into the local homelessness service system. Findings reveal that: (1) when COSS Model support is delivered to identified at-risk students, 40–50% of individuals are no longer at such high risk of homelessness 12-months later; (2) only 3–5% of students identified as at risk of homelessness and supported through the COSS Model sought assistance from local homelessness services in the following two years; and (3) the flow of adolescents (12–18 years) into the local homelessness services was reduced by 40% from 2019 to 2023. As an evidence-based, complex innovation, there are major policy, funding, and implementation challenges in scaling the model to multiple community sites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)
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16 pages, 278 KiB  
Article
Diverse Profiles of Homeless Young Adults: Implications for Tailored Prevention Strategies—Insights from Belgian Homelessness Counts
by Evelien Demaerschalk, Laure-lise Robben, Nana Mertens and Koen Hermans
Youth 2024, 4(3), 1271-1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030080 - 26 Aug 2024
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Young adults experiencing homelessness face multiple challenges and are often confronted with additional barriers stemming from adverse past experiences. Whereas youth homelessness rates appear to increase across Europe, our knowledge on its nature in Belgium remains limited. Based on recent local point-in-time counts [...] Read more.
Young adults experiencing homelessness face multiple challenges and are often confronted with additional barriers stemming from adverse past experiences. Whereas youth homelessness rates appear to increase across Europe, our knowledge on its nature in Belgium remains limited. Based on recent local point-in-time counts on homelessness in Belgium (2020–2022) and a focus group (2022) to interpret these results, we examine the profiles of more than 2000 homeless young adults and distinguish between three distinct groups (youth care leavers, Belgians with no care history, and newcomers). Alongside the need for universal prevention, tailored interventions are crucial for each subgroup to address their unique needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)
18 pages, 585 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Youth and Young Adults at Risk of Homelessness in the U.S.
by Melissa A. Kull, Susan Frankel and Samantha Gills
Youth 2024, 4(3), 1134-1151; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030070 - 26 Jul 2024
Viewed by 753
Abstract
In this study, we identified differences in characteristics and circumstances, main presenting problems, and types of referrals received among young people who were in crisis, at imminent risk of homelessness, or currently homeless. This study draws on data from 11,566 young people who [...] Read more.
In this study, we identified differences in characteristics and circumstances, main presenting problems, and types of referrals received among young people who were in crisis, at imminent risk of homelessness, or currently homeless. This study draws on data from 11,566 young people who contacted the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) through the National Communication System (NCS), a federal program for young people at risk or experiencing homelessness in the U.S. and those who care for them. Frontline staff collect information directly from young people during crisis intervention engagement through the NRS. We used multinomial logistic regression analyses to predict membership in each of the homelessness risk categories and logistic regression analyses to predict the type of service referrals young people received. Results revealed that young people’s circumstances and presenting problems were associated with homelessness risk category membership, which in turn was linked with the types of service referrals young people received. This study illuminates valuable opportunities for targeting prevention opportunities to the specific needs of young people with varying levels of homelessness risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)
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20 pages, 308 KiB  
Article
Making Homes in Un-Homelike Places among Young People in Vancouver: Implications for Homelessness Prevention
by Daniel Manson and Danya Fast
Youth 2024, 4(2), 885-904; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4020057 - 9 Jun 2024
Viewed by 938
Abstract
This article explores the experiences of young people navigating an evolving system of housing and homelessness services in Vancouver, Canada. Despite recent shifts toward Housing First policies and calls for prevention-oriented initiatives, many young people continue to rely on temporary emergency accommodations. Amid [...] Read more.
This article explores the experiences of young people navigating an evolving system of housing and homelessness services in Vancouver, Canada. Despite recent shifts toward Housing First policies and calls for prevention-oriented initiatives, many young people continue to rely on temporary emergency accommodations. Amid a surge in youth homelessness and unstable housing in Vancouver, our study examines young people’s “homing” strategies across time and place and temporary and more permanent living environments. We draw from an ongoing ethnographic study that began in 2021 and has involved over 70 interviews and 100 h of fieldwork with 54 young people aged 19 to 29. Our findings emphasize that feeling at home extends beyond having a roof over one’s head for an extended period of time. A focus on homing strategies—that is, the day-to-day practices, routines, and forms of sociality that generate a sense of stability and care even in un-homelike places—highlights how young people can be better supported in making themselves at home in the places where they live, potentially preventing returns to street-based homelessness. This study contributes insights to youth homelessness prevention policies, urging a strengths-based approach that aligns with young people’s needs, priorities, and desires for homemaking. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)
15 pages, 257 KiB  
Article
Talking about Homelessness and School: Recommendations from Canadian Young People Who Have Experienced Homelessness
by Kevin Partridge and Jacqueline Kennelly
Youth 2024, 4(2), 820-834; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4020054 - 4 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1300
Abstract
The primary research question driving this paper is the following: “What are the schooling experiences of young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness?” Through interviews with 28 young people in two cities in Ontario, Canada, the authors identified several common [...] Read more.
The primary research question driving this paper is the following: “What are the schooling experiences of young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness?” Through interviews with 28 young people in two cities in Ontario, Canada, the authors identified several common experiences, including the following: lack of available information that could help them cope with their housing difficulties; prejudice and bullying from other students, sometimes stemming from their housing problems but also due to factors such as racialization, gender identity, poverty, and substance use; and individual support from some teachers and support staff, although this was dependent on being in school. They proposed changes to help young people still in school, including the inclusion of non-judgmental information and guidance on dealing with poverty and homelessness in school curricula, educating school staff about the ‘symptoms’ of homelessness to help them identify students at risk, and creating more safe and supportive school environments overall. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)
15 pages, 240 KiB  
Article
The Work of Youth Homelessness Prevention in Ontario: Points of Frustration, Points of Potential
by Sarah Cullingham, Naomi Nichols and Aron Rosenberg
Youth 2024, 4(2), 567-581; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4020039 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1361
Abstract
Despite a rhetorical turn towards prevention in homelessness policy and research, the work of youth homelessness prevention continues to be frustrated by persistent structural barriers. In this article, we examine how youth homelessness prevention is being implemented in the province of Ontario, with [...] Read more.
Despite a rhetorical turn towards prevention in homelessness policy and research, the work of youth homelessness prevention continues to be frustrated by persistent structural barriers. In this article, we examine how youth homelessness prevention is being implemented in the province of Ontario, with a focus on targeted provincial support programs and local shelter diversion practices. Drawing on interviews with workers in the homeless-serving sector, we describe the implementation of these initiatives and identify points of frustration and potential that workers encounter as they try to prevent experiences of homelessness for youth. We contend that these points of frustration illuminate persistent structural barriers that continue to forestall the work of youth homelessness prevention. Meanwhile, points of potential demonstrate the importance of empowering workers to creatively adapt and offer responsive services. Taken together, these signal the critical importance of two aspects of contemporary homelessness prevention typologies—primordial prevention and empowerment. We end by offering aspirations for action, a political reframing of the policy recommendations sections more typical of social science research articles. We do so to affirm our commitment to advancing the work of structural transformation that is required to achieve the right to housing for all, including youth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)

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11 pages, 248 KiB  
Study Protocol
Prioritizing Prevention: Examining Shelter Diversion as an Early Intervention Approach to Respond to Youth Homelessness
by Katrina Milaney, Amanda Noble, Alyjah Ermine Neil, Caitlin Stokvis, Robyn Feraday, Claire Feasby, Nadine Vertes, Meagan Mah, Nicole Jackson, Kat Main, Fadzai Blessing Punungwe and Kristen Brick
Youth 2024, 4(3), 1337-1347; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030084 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 634
Abstract
There is a growing movement in Canada towards youth homelessness prevention. One such response, called shelter diversion aims to move young people into safe and supportive housing as quickly as possible. The objective of this project is to assess how, and in what [...] Read more.
There is a growing movement in Canada towards youth homelessness prevention. One such response, called shelter diversion aims to move young people into safe and supportive housing as quickly as possible. The objective of this project is to assess how, and in what ways, shelter diversion operates and whether this intervention permanently or temporarily diverts youth from homelessness. Our project is grounded in principles of community-based participatory research including community/university partnerships and an advisory committee of lived-experience experts. Our team is utilizing mixed methods to capture the outcomes of diversion programs. Data collection began in September 2022 and ended in May 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis is underway. Preliminary results show differences in how diversion is defined and implemented across organizations. There are also differences in staffing models and program budgets. The findings from this study will contribute to a recommendation for a national definition and adaptable program model for shelter diversion, easily accessible to support the expansion of diversion programs into youth-serving organizations across Canada. This study is the first in Canada to examine the effectiveness of shelter diversion as an early intervention strategy to prevent youth homelessness on a national scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Homelessness Prevention)
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