In the last few years Philadelphia has seen an increase in the numbers of homeless youth. We aren’t alone—this increase is happening in cities nationwide. According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) report, 5,764 children and youth were counted as homeless in Philadelphia during the 2014-2015 school year. This is the highest number of homeless youth counted in Philadelphia to date. In 2016, Covenant House reported turning away 546 homeless youth in need of shelter. This problem is exacerbated because most homeless youth are invisible: they “couch surf,” sleep in abandoned buildings instead of going to shelters or sleep on the streets. As a result, the numbers of homeless youth in our city are likely much larger than what we are counting.
In 2016, to address this growing crisis, Philadelphia joined other major cities in a project called the 100 Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness. The 100 Day Challenge initiative was modeled on similar efforts to end veteran homelessness, which were very successful. Over 30 public and private entities, including many legal service providers and advocacy agencies, came together as part of the challenge. The first phase addressed meeting the immediate needs of homeless youth. City Council made available $700,000 to create 50 new shelter and transitional housing beds for homeless youth as well as assistance in securing employment for 75 young people.
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