The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

The 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress: Part 1
the overall unaccompanied homeless youth
population, people who did not identify as
male, female, or transgender comprised a
higher share of the unsheltered population
than the sheltered population (0.5% compared
to 0.2%).
• More than one-third (37%) of unaccompanied
homeless youth are women or girls, which
is a larger share than those experiencing
homelessness as individuals (28%).
• One-quarter of unaccompanied homeless
youth were Hispanic or Latino (or 10,296
people). The rate is higher among unsheltered
unaccompanied homeless youth (31% or 6,785
people). Unaccompanied homeless youth
were more likely to be Hispanic or Latino
than all homeless individuals (25% of youth
were Hispanic or Latino compared to 19%),
demonstrating that younger individuals were
more likely Hispanic than older individuals.
• Nearly half of unaccompanied homeless youth
were white (49%), and about one-third (34%)
were African American. Multiracial youth
accounted for 10 percent. Native American
youth represented four percent of the homeless
youth population, and Asian and Pacific
Islander youth together accounted for the
remaining three percent.
• Compared to all homeless individuals
(including people over the age of 24),
unaccompanied homeless youth were more
likely to identify as a race other than white or
African American (18% versus 12%).
EXHIBIT 4.3: Demographic Characteristics of Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing
Homelessness
2017
All Unaccompanied Youth
Sheltered Unaccompanied
Youth
Unsheltered Unaccompanied
Youth
# % # % # %
Total 40,799 100 18,542 100 22,257 100
Age
Under 18 4,789 11.7 2,122 11.4 2,667 12.0
18 – 24 36,010 88.3 16,420 88.6 19,590 88.0
Gender
Female 14,930 36.6 8,036 43.3 6,894 31.0
Male 25,131 61.6 10,202 55.0 14,929 67.1
Transgender 597 1.5 270 1.5 327 1.5
Does Not Identify as Male,
Female, or Transgender
Ethnicity
141 0.3 34 0.2 107 0.5
Non-Hispanic 30,503 74.8 15,031 81.1 15,472 69.5
Hispanic 10,296 25.2 3,511 18.9 6,785 30.5
Race
White 19,842 48.6 8,629 46.5 11,213 50.4
African American 13,817 33.9 7,830 42.2 5,987 26.9
Asian 770 1.9 193 1.0 577 2.6
Native American 1,724 4.2 621 3.3 1,103 5.0
Pacific Islander 579 1.4 135 0.7 444 2.0
Multiple Races 4,067 10.0 1,134 6.1 2,933 13.2
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