Youth homelessness: the REAL cause

What is youth homelessness? What causes youth homelessness? Youth homelessness is a term used to identify children who are homeless. The two main causes are financial hardship/affordability for housing and unaccompanied/abandoned youth.

Why is finances a problem? Finances are a problem due to the fact that a family could be struggling with money, whether it’s from an illness, an accident, loss, or a bad-paying job. Buying a house is also a problem that a young person struggles with. Over the years, the price of a house has been increasing. Living in Toronto is expensive, according to statistics (Fred Victor), it costs $2,400 to live in Toronto. Youths are forced to work when their family suffers because of money problems. Some might have to work hours on top of school or have to drop out of school to provide for the family full-time.

The second cause is unaccompanied/abandoned youth. What causes a young person to leave home/get kicked out? It depends on their parents/guardians. An example is domestic violence. Children might want to leave their homes due to abuse, harsh living conditions, trauma, etc. After leaving, they are forced to live on the streets due to the fact that they have nowhere to stay, no money to help them out. Some of Canada’s youth are abandoned because their family has kicked them out or told them to leave. There are many reasons for this. The family might be struggling financially. Parents are getting divorced and finding it hard to take care of a child, the child might be different from a parent’s/guardian’s expectations, etc.

What are some solutions to prevent young teens from being left without a home? One way to help our youth is through community programs, by giving them shelters, providing food, or giving them a job. Another way is donating and volunteering. Donate to charities that help homeless youth. Research a charity to see if they are willing to support teenagers that are homeless before donating. Volunteer at a shelter or at a charity that believes in the cause of helping the youth of today to find a good home, a way to make their life stable.

Works Cited

1. “7 Common Causes of Homelessness You Need to Know About.” Fred Victor, 14 June 2019, www.fredvictor.org/2019/06/14/7-common-causes-of-homelessness/.

2. Aratani, Yumiko. “Homeless Children and Youth: Causes and Consequences – NCCP.” National Center for Children in Poverty, Sept. 2009, www.nccp.org/publication/homeless-children-and-youth-causes-and-consequences/.

3. “Toronto Housing Market Report | April 2020 Real Estate Trends & Stats | Zolo.ca.” Zolo, www.zolo.ca/toronto-real-estate/trends.

Researcher: Anahad Dhaliwai (Researcher from Power to the Youth Toronto) and Carol Rong (Research lead from Power to the Youth Toronto)

Editors: Elini Sothy (Editor from Power to the Youth Toronto)

Date published: March 6th 2022