In this report on youth homelessness and foster care experience in Austin, TX, we found that prevention and homelessness response struggle to keep pace with community need.
In Texas, 33% of youth who age out of foster care experience homelessness at age 21. This exceeds the national average of 29%. In Austin, the number of young adults aged 18 to 25 who are seeking housing assistance through the homeless response system has nearly tripled in the past three years. Among these youth, 53% report a history in foster care. Homeless prevention and intervention programs for youth in Austin have not kept pace with need. As a result, the community has reached the current crisis point.
Our study sought to understand how to better support young people’s housing needs and long-term wellbeing. The research team developed an environmental scan of support services for youth with foster care history in Austin. We also met with stakeholders and interviewed eight young adults with lived experience in foster care and homelessness. Our findings are not generalizable to all youth with foster care experience or to other communities in Texas or nationally. However, the data provides important insights about the needs of youth in Austin.
Recommendations:
We generated the following recommendations based on report findings:
- Strengthen prevention
- Develop a more youth-friendly homeless response system
- Expand housing options for youth
- Increase use of data for community planning and coordination
Read the full report & executive summary:
