Thank you for joining LMM in recognizing the month of November as Youth Homelessness Awareness Month, also recognized as Youth HOPE Month. This past month offered a time to raise awareness around children and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity across the U.S.
Youth homelessness is a complex problem that stems from a variety of factors. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “Youth homelessness is often rooted in family conflict. Other contributing factors include economic circumstances like poverty and housing insecurity, racial disparities, and mental health and substance abuse disorders. Young people who have had involvement with the child welfare, foster care, and juvenile justice systems are also more likely to become homeless.” (endhomelessness.org, 2023).
Additionally, The Trevor Project’s 2022 Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth found that 28% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives. This same study also notes that “16% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had slept away from parents or caregivers because they ran away from home, with more than half (55%) reporting that they ran away from home because of mistreatment or fear of mistreatment due to their LGBTQ identity.” (thetrevorproject.org, 2022).
Youth homelessness is not a problem associated with just one root cause. The complexity of the causes means that the solutions to addressing this issue must be equally intricate. Providing immediate needs such as shelter are crucial, but it’s also important to address the individual underlying causes.
LMM is committed to providing crucial support to address both the immediate concerns associated with youth homelessness and the root causes that contribute to this problem plaguing communities everywhere. LMM’s Emergency Youth Shelter is available 24/7 all year round to admit youth between the ages of 13 and 17. This shelter is designed to address the immediate needs of homeless youth.
LMM’s Youth Resiliency Services (YRS) offers a wide range of social services, activities, and support to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of the young people we serve. This includes an emergency shelter, independent living, navigation supports, and transitional housing for youth in crisis. LMM provides resources to help residents continue their education, participate in extracurricular activities, access transportation, and access to medical and mental health services. The social and emotional needs of homeless youth are often overlooked, yet they play a crucial role in shaping the outcomes for this vulnerable population.
Click the buttons below to support LMM youth with gifts from our Amazon Wish List and/or to donate monetarily LMM’s YRS program.
