Center for American Progress

Keywords: Best Practices; Child Welfare; Data Collection; Homeless Youth; Juvenile Justice; Policy; Research; Transgender Youth 

This report compiles existing research in order to provide an overview of the demographics of transgender homeless youth, their experiences while homeless, and the factors that contribute to homelessness and housing instability among this community. It also outlines a series of recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers to meet the housing needs of transgender young people and to improve outcomes for those experiencing homelessness. In particular, this report focuses on the following mechanisms for preventing and ending homelessness: 

• Providing the resources needed for homeless and at-risk transgender youth to stabilize their lives, including shelters and transitional living programs, skill-building opportunities, health promotion programs, and family intervention services 

• Implementing strong nondiscrimination policies and eliminating barriers to services in shelters, health care, vital records, and law enforcement 

• Addressing the root causes of homelessness through changes to the interlocking systems that hold transgender youth back from reaching their full potential, including housing, employment, education, public accommodations, juvenile justice, and foster care 

• Expanding data-collection efforts to include gender identity in respectful and confidential ways 

File : pdf with 0.49 MB in size

Beyond 4 Walls and a Roof: Addressing Homelessness Among Transgender Youth