An Open Door and a Helping Hand for Homeless Young People

An Open Door and a Helping Hand for Homeless Young People

April 12, 2016

By: Sylvia Mathews Burwell, HHS Secretary

To end homelessness among young people, it’s important to listen to their experiences, and to learn from them. A new report released by HHS today tries to do just that.
Homeless young people live in constant transition. As one young person at a shelter in San Diego, California said, “When I was in 4th grade, I lived in a campground, three homeless shelters, my mom’s ex-boyfriend’s, and I went back with my dad, and then left again, and then went back with my dad, and then now I came here.”
In spite of the challenges they face, they’re chasing their own dreams and aspirations. One young person in a Chicago, Illinois shelter said, “In 5 years… I will definitely be in school—a 4-year college. I definitely aspire to be in college. I feel like that’s the biggest goal of all.”
One night in January of 2014, there were more than 45,200 young people across the country without a parent or guardian who were homeless. And the Department of Education reports that an estimated 89,000 unaccompanied students experienced homelessness at some point during the 2013 to 2014 school year.
These numbers are far too high. We can, and we must, do better.
That’s why we have come together with partners across the federal government as part of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. As the Chair for the Council, I’m looking forward to the progress we’ll continue to make, and the many Americans we can help together.
READ MORE: An Open Door and a Helping Hand for Homeless Young People