National Campaign for Youth Shelter
Over 500,000 young people experience homelessness every year throughout our nation. Despite that staggering figure, there are only 4,000 youth shelter beds across the country. This forces the majority of homeless youth to struggle for survival on the streets.
The National Campaign for Youth Shelter is a collaborative effort between the Ali Forney Center and the National Coalition for the Homeless to build a grassroots movement demanding a national commitment to house all the homeless youth in the country.
Join our campaign:
We are calling for:
- A federal commitment to provide ALL young people, ages 24 and under, with immediate access to safe shelter, affirming the principle that no young person in the United States should be left homeless in the streets.
- An immediate commitment to add 22,000 shelter beds along with appropriate services - a five-fold increase over the current level of resources.
- A more accurate and comprehensive effort to count the number of homeless youth in the nation in order to determine the number of beds that are needed over the next decade.
Youth Homelessness
- There are only 4,000 youth shelter beds in the United States, yet as many as 500,000 unaccompanied youths experience homelessness each year.
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Many homeless young people have fled abusive situations, left the foster care system with no resources, or been rejected by their families because of sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBT youth are disproportionately over-represented in the homeless youth population, with as many as 40% of the nation’s homeless youth being LGBT, while only 5% of the overall youth population is LGBT.
The following organizations have joined our coalition. If your organization would like to join the National Campaign for Youth Shelter, please contact us at info @nationalhomeless.org .
Collaboration is key! In order to see improvements in the lives of young people experiencing homelessness, we must all work together and speak out. By supporting this campaign, you recognize that the number of designated shelter beds for youth is woefully inadequate. Please use your considerable voice to help others to understand the gravity of this issue!
Consider downloading these badges and adding them to your website or social media profile!
Help us get the word out!
We support the National Campaign for Youth Shelter because EVERYONE deserves a bed.
#Act4Youth http://ow.ly/wWlJJLGBT youth are disproportionately over-represented in the homeless youth pop. We need safe shelter now! #Act4Youth http://ow.ly/wWlJJKids who grow up on the streets are in real danger and so is the society that allows them to do so.
#Act4Youth http://ow.ly/xIKlS
Download the full media packet HERE
- National Campaign for Youth Shelter Poster
- Web Badges
- Press Release
NYC Rally for Youth Shelter
On June 2, 2014 The National Campaign for Youth Shelter hosted a rally to inspire discussion about youth homelessness within the LGBT community during Pride month. Nearly a thousand people came out to voice their support, listen to incredible speakers and DEMAND A BED FOR EVERY YOUTH.
Former NCH Executive Director, Jerry Jones, addressed the crowd to announce the DC rally in December.
Other speakers included:
- Edie Windsor, plaintiff in United States v. Windsor, which
- found DOMA unconstitutional
- David Mixner, LGBT leader and civil rights activist
- Mark Harrington, co-founder/executive director of the Treatment Action Group (TAG), one of the heroes of How To Stop A Plague
- Martin Boyce, veteran of the Stonewall Uprising
- Wade Davis, executive director of the You Can Play Project
- Jennifer Louise Lopez, Transgender activist and founder/executive director of Everything Transgender in NYC and formerly homeless
- Emanuel Xavier, author and former homeless LGBT youth
- Chris Bilal, youth leader in the fight against Stop and Frisk policies and former homeless LGBT youth
- Cathy Marino-Thomas, former co-president and board chair of Marriage Equality New York
- Reverend Melvin Miller, Shelter of Peace, Faith Community Representative
- Carl Siciliano, founder/executive director of the Ali Forney Center
Many thanks to Youth Allies and Alexa Telano for documenting the event!
