Here’s a number that may surprise you: More than three percent of the Houston Independent School District students meet the federal definition of homelessness. That’s 6,500 students who aren’t sure where they will sleep at night. Based on our work in the schools, we think the number may be much higher.
Miguel’s family struggled to pay their bills after COVID hit. They could only stay in their apartment because of the county eviction moratorium. Then the moratorium expired, and they were forced out on the street. Miquel is 16, and his family faced a terrible choice with other children to take care of. Relatives couldn’t bring in everyone. Many shelters won’t take in teenage boys. They told Miguel he would have to find another place to stay.
Housing insecurity impacts youth differently than adults. The sense of helplessness and hopelessness that accompany homelessness and exposure to traumatic experiences like drug and alcohol abuse, hunger, and sex trafficking leave lasting psychological scars on their development. The incidence of depression and suicide is much higher, with youth experiencing homelessness dramatically increasing the chance that they will experience homelessness as adults.
The statistics show that most youth who have been homeless have been involved in foster care, the juvenile justice system, or both. Not surprisingly, many of the youth who are a part of Houston reVision experience some form of housing instability.
The family has been evicted in some cases, such as Miguel’s. In others, they’ve been kicked out or left on their own because of dysfunction and conflict at home. Our LGBTQ youth may be told to leave by families that won’t accept them. Our youth often may not realize they are technically “homeless.” They know they are sleeping at a relative’s house on a couch.
We find in working with these youth that their emotional needs are closely connected to their physical needs. Developing youth need a sense of stability and grounding to thrive. They have immediate physical needs for food and shelter. The stress and trauma that occurs when those unmet needs carry an emotional burden that can shape the rest of their lives.
The chief purpose of children, adolescents, and young adults is to grow into stable adulthood. They can’t flourish if their days are spent worrying about which sofa they will crash on or which car or 24-hour laundromat they will sleep in tonight.