Author(s): Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
- Erin D. Carreon
- Jonathan Brodie
- Matthew H. Morton
Published: October 2020
Report Intro/Brief:
“While youth homelessness is prevalent at similar rates in both rural and urban areas, it is less visible and less studied in rural regions. Many rural areas lack resources to provide services to young people experiencing homelessness, so youth often have to move or travel great distances to find the youth-oriented services and supports they need. This qualitative study aims to better understand the unique challenges faced by rural communities in the U.S. to address youth homelessness.
It also examines the ways they are responding to those challenges and opportunities to strengthen service delivery models in rural contexts. We conducted seven 90-minute virtual focus groups with 45 national, state, regional, local, Tribal, and young adult stakeholders. Five of these focus groups focused on five specific rural regions, which vary in their geography, youth homelessness services, and demographics. Two researchers analyzed transcripts by developing a coding scheme and creating focus group-by-code matrices for key topics to reveal patterns.
Stakeholders described how the invisibility of rural homelessness, lack of awareness, stigma and distrust of public systems led rural regions to undercount young people in need of support. While rural schools are a strategic place to identify youth and raise awareness about youth homelessness, young people reported that when they first needed support they were not aware of the existence of federally-required school-based youth homelessness liaisons. Most rural regions reported having insufficient resources, pushing young people underground to rely on their social networks for informal supports. Focus groups discussed how the individuals providing and receiving these supports were looking for guidance to improve these informal arrangements.
Youth reported experiencing racism from rural public systems, and two regions indicated they lacked data to measure disparities. Stakeholders from Tribal nations and marginalized communities indicated they lacked funding to develop strategies for addressing youth homelessness. All types of participants also reported that rural LGBTQIA youth lack access to affirming services. While agencies face several barriers to cross-system collaboration, two regions highlighted how receiving funding at the community level helped facilitate new partnerships. While regions have made some efforts to seek youth input, they have encountered geographic, technological, and funding barriers to authentic youth collaboration. These findings inform a series of recommendations we offer for better addressing rural youth homelessness in the U.S.”
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