As my own 18th birthday dawned (I know, pretty crazy) I couldn’t help but think about what happens to those who are experiencing homelessness. While I am fortunate to have a roof over my head, there are people who are forced to live outside. Youth shelters exist, yet many services like foster care cut off at 18. What happens to those individuals who must make the sudden switch to adulthood when they already face so much?
What happens
In many states, an “aging-out” effect occurs when individuals turn 18. Youth shelters cannot house adults, so those sleeping there are forced to relocate. The same thing happens to those in foster care, who also must move out. It turns out that roughly a third of American foster youth become unhoused after their 18th birthday simply from having no place to go.
To make matters worse, many young adults are expected to have legal documents such as a state ID, birth certificate, or Social Security card. Many have either lost them or never had them, making obtaining a job nearly impossible. Furthermore, offenses like sleeping in a park are no longer handled by juvenile courts, leading young adults to face more severe punishments.
Existing Solutions
There are some transitional housing solutions that exist to specifically assist transitioning adults. Additionally, extended foster care programs exist as well to serve a similar purpose. Despite these solutions, youth homelessness remains a large public issue in the US, and current solutions are not sufficient to prevent our country’s young adults from ending up on the streets.