Each month Fatima Johnson, Brightlane’s Community Engagement & Education Strategist, will be sharing some educational information and resources as we continue to learn together. This month she is helping us explore National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
This month is dedicated to shedding light on the ongoing crisis of youth homelessness across the United States. Officially recognized in November 2007, this month serves to raise awareness of the complex challenges young people face when experiencing homelessness.
According to research from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 1 in 30 youth aged 13–17 experience some form of homelessness each year. Disparities are stark — youth who are Black (83% higher), Hispanic/Latino (33% higher), or LGBTQ+ (120% higher) are significantly more likely to face homelessness compared to their white, cisgender peers, as reported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.