Findings
KEY FINDINGS
- 420 were directly counted and surveyed
- 205 youth reported that they had spent the previous night in a shelter 139 had slept on the streets or another place not meant for human habitation
- 76 had stayed with a friend, relative or acquaintance.
- 212 additional youths were counted using data from the Homeless Management Information System
- 632 youth were counted in total
WHO DID WE FIND?
- The mean age of the sample was 20, 87% were between 18-24
- 54% reported their gender as male, 42% as female, 4% as transgender/something else.
- 76% identified themselves as straight and 24% identified as LGBQ
- Most identified as African American (61%), followed by White (16%), and Hispanic (15%)
- 93% were born in the United States.
- 63% reported their last permanent home was in the Houston Area.
- 68% had been homeless in the past prior to the current episode
PRIOR SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT
- 51% of the sample reported that they had been in a detention center or jail at some point in their life.
- 31% had been involved with juvenile probation
- 13% reported aging out of the juvenile justice system.
- 41% reported being in foster care at some point in their lives
- 22% reported aging out of the foster care system.
SERVICES UTILIZED AND SERVICE NEEDS
- 47% of the youth reported staying in emergency shelters
- 2% used transitional housing programs
- 19% went to drop-in centers
- 19% received health care services
- 18% had used job training programs or services
- 14% used educational programs
- When asked what types of services would be most helpful right now two-thirds selected housing, 52% chose job training or job search services, 44% selected educational opportunities, and 33% endorsed health care or mental health services
- Half reported there was a time where they thought about going to a shelter but did not go.
- Top reasons included they thought they could make it on their own, heard the shelter was dirty or bad, did not know where to go, did not like the way the shelter staff treated them, did not want others to know they were homeless, or had no transportation.
- 38% reported they had gone to a shelter and not stayed the night
- Top reasons included that the shelter was full, felt uncomfortable, and were too old or too young.
For an in-depth report on our findings please reference the full report and infographics.
View the Full Report of Findings from YouthCount 2.0.
YouthCount 2.0! Infographics