Recession Causes Uptick in Homeless Runaway Youth

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-10-26 14:45:00 UTC
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Foreclosures, job losses, and recession-induced stresses aren't only impacting adults during these rough economic times. The effects have trickled down to youth, creating a surge in the numbers of youth running away from home and living on the streets.

According to the NY Times, it is widely believed that the number of homeless runaway youth has increased as a result of the recession, although the number is difficult to pinpoint. Federal studies estimate that no less than 1.6 million juveniles run away or are thrown out of their homes each year. But the majority of these children return home within a week, and the federal government does not conduct a census of this population.

Given the intrinsic difficulties of counting the homeless population - particularly youth who are hiding from authorities - the best indicator of the problem may be the number of contacts runaway youth make with federally-financed outreach programs. According to the NY TImes, this number "rose to 761,000 in 2008 from 550,000 in 2002, when current methods of counting began."

Indeed, the sparse information available on the lives of homeless youth paint a tragic picture. According to the Labor Department, less than 30 percent of teenagers had jobs during the past summer. This means that many homeless runaway youth must resort to other means to earn money, including dealing drugs, prostitution, or panhandling.

This rise in homeless youth is especially concerning because it is being overshadowed by the plight of other "groups", such as homeless families. Indeed, many of the Recovery Act funds directed towards combating homelessness will benefit homeless families, not unaccompanied youth.

So exactly how many homeless runaway youth are there? It's tough to know for sure. According to the NY Times, "federal statistics indicate that in at least 75 percent of runaway cases, parents or caretakers have not reported the child missing, often because they are angry about a fight or would simply prefer to see a problem child leave the house. And in 16 percent of cases, the local police failed to enter the information into the federal database, as required under federal law."

Homelessness is a traumatic for any individual. But the scars can be tougher to erase when it's experienced during one's formative years.

Image: New York Times

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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