Without A Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey

Reconnecting with family
While family conflict is an underlying factor
that contributes to young people becoming
homeless, this does not mean that once on the
streets young people generally sever relations
with family or have no desire to reconnect.
When asked whether they were currently in
regular contact with family (meaning contact
with any family member at least once a month),
over two thirds (71.6%) said yes, and about one
third (28.5%) said no. A high percentage of
those surveyed suggested that connections with
family were important (63.5%). Three quarters
of the sample (77.3%) would like to improve
relationships with some members of their family
or guardians. In fact, 49% are actively working on
improving relations, and 28.3% want to but are
not right now.
71.6%
of youth surveyed were
in contact with a family
member at least once
per month
77.3%
of youth surveyed
would like to improve
relationships with
family
It is only in recent years that those working with young people experiencing homelessness
have begun to see the value in helping young people reconnect with family. This is
because family has often been framed as the ‘problem’ as so many youth are fleeing family
conflict and abuse.
Supporting young people and their families through family reconnection, mediation, or
broader ‘family first’ strategies is a positive way both to prevent and intervene early in
homelessness, as well as help young people who are exiting the streets to sustainably
maintain housing and avoid future homelessness.
Underlying family reconnection and ‘family first’ approaches is the belief that family is
important to almost everyone. A truly effective response to youth homelessness “must
consider the role that family – and the potential of reconciling damaged relationships –
can play in helping street youth move forward with their lives” (Winland et al., 2011, p. 4).
WITHOUT A HOME: THE NATIONAL YOUTH HOMELESSNESS SURVEY
109