Preventing Young Adult Homelessness: Report

Preventing Young Adult Homelessness among Students at Risk

This research study, conducted in collaboration with partners at the University of Pennsylvania, examines the characteristics and experiences of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) students who experienced homelessness as young adults between the ages of 18-21. The study compares the experiences of these students to those of all NYCPS students. The goal is to identify risk factors and inform support systems to prevent youth homelessness and promote success.

In a prior study, CIDI found that student race/ethnicity, child welfare involvement, and educational factors such as school transfers and chronic absenteeism were risk factors for students experiencing homelessness in the following year. However, imminent student homelessness was so rare (.3 percent) and the extent of the risks among the population so broad that it was difficult to identify those who would experience homelessness. This new study shifts the focus from imminent student homeless to identifying upstream factors for students who later experience homelessness as young adults.

Findings

This study finds that of the birth cohort’s 446,094 students, only 1.6 percent (7,199) experienced young adult homelessness. The highest risk groups are high school students receiving ACS family prevention services (23.5 times more likely to experience homelessness as young adults), residing in DHS shelter (14.4 times more likely), or experiencing ACS foster care (13.7 times more likely).

Impacts

ACS and/or DHS involved youth face compounding challenges before, during and after system involvement

Multi-agency collaboration is critical to provide educational, economic, social and emotional support at key transition points for youth and their families

Youth with these experiences need interventions that are:

Co-designed and informed by their input
Immediately accessible, especially during critical junctures in youth and family life
Available exactly when and where the need arises

Documents and Links

Download the Trinity Report

Partners

Trinity Church Wall Street
University of Pennsylvania