In 2021, more than 20,000 Oklahoma students were experiencing homelessness, disrupting their ability to learn and grow alongside classmates. Source: Oklahoma 2021 PiT Count

“Youth Homelessness” is a broad umbrella, encompassing children under 13, adolescents aged 13-17, and young adults 18-25, depending on the agency or program. Understanding this group is difficult due to differing, narrow definitions of homelessness and the difficulty of remaining in school while experiencing homelessness.  

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development defines homelessness as living outside, in vehicles, in shelters, or in other places “not meant for habitation”. Schools include “hidden” situations like couch hopping and living in motels, but if a student drops out of school along the way, they’re no longer included. All caveats in mind, one national study conducted across 2016 and 2017 estimated that about 3.5 million young adults aged 18-25 experienced a form of homelessness in that time while about 700,000 youth ages 13-27 experienced homelessness. Half of those 18-25 and quarter of those 13-17 had couch-hopped during their experience.

Like adults, youth come to experience homelessness for a variety of complex reasons. For everyone, decades of persistent poverty and the nationwide shortage of affordable housing are key factors that underpin other experiences. Family conflict, intolerance of gender expression and sexuality, neglect, sexual abuse, and substance use all contribute to the experience of becoming homeless. Additionally, many young people experience homelessness for the first time alongside the rest of their family.  Another key factor in these experiences is contact with foster care or the justice system.