Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prevalence and Correlates of Homelessness Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
The Journal of Primary Prevention Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Youth homelessness is a serious national challenge affecting millions of young people every year. However, due to their relatively small population size, together with limitations related to data and research efforts on homelessness to date, prevalence estimates and evidence of homelessness experiences among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth have been scarce. This is particularly the case at the national level. We report findings on the prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of AIAN youth experiencing homelessness that are based on a nationally representative survey on homelessness among adolescents and young adults, age 13 to 25. The overall national survey sample included 25,492 respondents. During a 12-month period, approximately 10.2% of AIAN households with 13–17 year olds reported youth homelessness or runaway experiences that lasted at least one night. For AIAN 18–25 year olds, the 12-month population prevalence of homelessness experiences was 12.2%. AIAN young adults had three times the prevalence rate of homelessness as their White non-Hispanic peers. Furthermore, most AIAN youth experiencing homelessness, like most AIAN people overall, reside in predominantly urban counties. Controlling for other variables, lower educational attainment, and parenting (especially if unmarried) were associated with higher likelihood of homelessness. There is a clear and urgent need for tailored, culturally-responsive homelessness prevention and intervention strategies, along with focused housing and support investments, for AIAN young people and the communities in which they live. The federal government and local jurisdictions need to take policy actions to address high rates of AIAN youth homelessness in urban and suburban communities, in addition to policies centered on AIAN reservations and rural communities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Administration for Children and Families. (2014). Report to congress on the social and economic conditions of Native Americans, fiscal year 2014. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF). (2016). Definitions of homelessness for federal program serving children, youth, and families. Washington, DC: Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/homelessness_definition.pdf. Accessed 5 Oct 2019.

  • Agans, R. P., Jefferson, M. T., Bowling, J. M., Zeng, D., Yang, J., & Silverbush, M. (2014). Enumerating the hidden homeless: Strategies to estimate the homeless gone missing from a point-in-time count. Journal of Official Statistics,30(2), 215–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auerswald, C. L., Lin, J. S., & Parriott, A. (2016). Six-year mortality in a street-recruited cohort of homeless youth in San Francisco, California. PeerJ,4, e1909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auerswald, C., Lin, J., Petry, L., & Hyatt, S. (2013). Hidden in plain sight: An assessment of youth inclusion in point-in-time counts of California’s unsheltered homeless population. CA Homeless Youth Project, CA Research Bureau, CA State Library.

  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). Homelessness among Indigenous Australians. Cat. No. IHW 133. Canberra: AIHW.

  • Benoit-Bryan, J. (2011). The runaway youth longitudinal study. Chicago, IL: National Runaway Safeline.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bingham, B., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, M., Distasio, J., Sareen, J., O’Neil, J., et al. (2019). Indigenous and non-Indigenous people experiencing homelessness and mental illness in two Canadian cities: A retrospective analysis and implications for culturally informed action. British Medical Journal Open,9(4), e024748. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024748.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, L. B. (1997). Women and men, not-men and not-women, lesbians and gays: American Indian gender style alternatives. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services,6(2), 5–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cauce, A. M., Morgan, C. J., Wagner, V., Moore, E., Sy, J., Wurzbacher, K., et al. (1994). Effectiveness of intensive case management for homeless adolescents: Results of a 3-month follow-up. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders,2(4), 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/106342669400200404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curry, S. R., Morton, M., Matjasko, J. L., Dworsky, A., Samuels, G. M., & Schlueter, D. (2017). Youth homelessness and vulnerability: How does couch surfing fit? American Journal of Community Psychology,60(1–2), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12156.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Family and Youth Services Bureau. (2015). Report to congress on the runaway and homeless youth program for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, K., Becker-Green, J., Gault, J., & Simmons, D. (2005). Native American youth in transition: The path from adolescence to adulthood in two Native American communities. Portland, OR: National Indian Child Welfare Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallup, Inc. (2016). Gallup daily methodology. New York, NY: Gallup Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldrick-Rab, S., Baker-Smith, C., Coca, V., Looker, E., & Williams, T. (2019). College and university basic needs insecurity: A national #realcollege survey report. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. https://hope4college.com/college-and-university-basic-needs-insecurity-a-national-realcollege-survey-report/. Accessed 5 Oct 2019.

  • Government of Canada. (2019). Reaching home: Canada’s homelessness strategy directives. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/homelessness/directives.html. Accessed on June 1, 2019.

  • Greene, J. M., Ennett, S. T., & Ringwalt, C. L. (1997). Substance use among runaway and homeless youth in three national samples. American Journal of Public Health,87(2), 229–235.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greene, J. M., & Ringwalt, C. L. (1998). Pregnancy among three national samples of runaway and homeless youth. Journal of Adolescent Health,23(6), 370–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(98)00071-8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heerde, J. A., Hemphill, S. A., & Scholes-Balog, K. E. (2014). ‘Fighting’ for survival: A systematic review of physically violent behavior perpetrated and experienced by homeless young people. Aggression and Violent Behavior,19(1), 50–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2013.12.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson, K. J., Shelton, K. H., van den Bree, M. B. M., & Los, F. J. (2013). Psychopathology in young people experiencing homelessness: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health,103(6), e24–e37. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2013.301318.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). (2017). Homelessness in the United States: The 2017 annual homeless assessment report to congress. Washington, DC: HUD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Intercooled STATA (for Windows) [computer program]. (2015). Version 14.0. College Station, TX: StataCorp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsiaficas, D., Futch, V. A., Fine, M., & Sirin, S. R. (2011). Everyday hyphens: Exploring youth identities with methodological and analytic pluralism. Qualitative Research in Psychology,8(2), 120–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2011.572743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keeter, S., Hatley, N., Kennedy, C., & Lau, A. (2017). What low response rates mean for telephone surveys. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, S. A., Thistle, J., Beaulieu, T., O’Grady, B., & Gaetz, S. (2018). A national study of Indigenous youth homelessness in Canada. Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.06.012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Macartney, S., Bishaw, A., & Fontenot, K. (2013). Poverty rates for selected detailed race and Hispanic groups by state and place: 2007–2011. American Community Survey Briefs. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-17.pdf. Accessed 5 Oct 2019.

  • Medlow, S., Klineberg, E., & Steinbeck, K. (2014). The health diagnoses of homeless adolescents: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Adolescence,37(5), 531–542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.04.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morton, M. H., Dworsky, A., Matjasko, J. L., Curry, S. R., Schlueter, D., Chavez, R., et al. (2017). Missed opportunities: Youth homelessness in America. National estimates. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, M. H., Dworsky, A., Matjasko, J. L., Curry, S. R., Schlueter, D., Chávez, R., et al. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of youth homelessness in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health,62(1), 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.10.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, T., Vines, P. L., & Hoeffel, E. M. (2012). The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, G., Heineman, J., Minton, C., Lloyd, B., Larsen, P., & Zierman, C. (1998). Minnesota statewide survey of persons without permanent shelter: Volume II, unaccompanied youth. St. Paul, MN: Wilder Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pindus, N., Kingsley, G. T., Biess, J., Levy, D., Simington, J., Hayes, C., et al. (2017). Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas: A Report from the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ringwalt, C. L., Greene, J. M., & Robertson, M. J. (1998). Familial backgrounds and risk behaviors of youth with thrownaway experiences. Journal of Adolescence,21(3), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1998.0150.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Samuels, G. M., Cerven, C., Curry, S. R., & Robinson, S. R. (2018). “Nothing is for free…” youth attitudes about engaging resources while unstably housed. Cityscape,20(3), 35–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuels, G. M., Cerven, C., Curry, S., Robinson, S. R., & Patel, S. (2019). Missed opportunities in youth pathways through homelessness. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarche, M., & Spicer, P. (2008). Poverty and health disparities for American Indian and Alaska Native children: Current knowledge and future prospects. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,1136, 126–136. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1425.017.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, M., Brisson, D., & Burnes, D. (2016). Do we really know how many are homeless? An analysis of the point-in-time homelessness count. Families in Society,97(4), 321–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slesnick, N., Bartle-Haring, S., Dashora, P., Kang, M. J., & Aukward, E. (2008). Predictors of homelessness among street living youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence,37, 465–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thistle, J. (2017). Indigenous definition of homelessness in Canada. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, S. J., Kost, K. A., & Pollio, D. E. (2003). Examining risk factors associated with family reunification for runaway youth: Does ethnicity matter? Family Relations,52(3), 296–304. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2003.00296.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, M. A., & Ross, S. L. (2003). Discrimination in metropolitan housing markets: Phase 3—Native Americans. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. (2017). Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Age, Race Alone or in Combination, and Hispanic Origin for the United States and States: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved November 4, 2019 from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk.

  • US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). (2012, September). In J. Ho & J. Dampeer (Chairs), Expert panel on homelessness among American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Washington, DC.

  • Walters, T. (2017). Prepared Statement of Tony Walters, Executive Director National American Indian Housing Council to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Field Hearing on “NAHASDA: 20 years On”, U.S. House of Representatives, July 21, 2017.

  • Zerger, S. (2004). Healthcare for homeless Native Americans. Nashville, TN: National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research is the result of a collaboration involving the Voices of Youth Count (VoYC) team from Chapin Hall and many partners. External partners who provided methodological advice to this research included the VoYC Technical Advisors and Gallup, Inc., which fielded the survey and contributed additional technical expertise. The VoYC initiative is made possible through a grant from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R, Grant No. RP-16_IL-001) and generous support from Chapin Hall, Arcus Foundation (Grant No. G-PGM-1511-1561), Ballmer Group Philanthropy, Campion Foundation, Casey Family Programs (Grant No. FY14-1060), Dr. Inger Davis, Elton John AIDS Foundation (Grant No. 5202-00-00), Melville Charitable Trust (Grant No. 2015-015), Liberty Mutual Foundation, and Raikes Foundation (Grant No. 281).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Matthew H. Morton

  2. University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Raúl Chávez

  3. Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Kelly Moore

Authors
  1. Matthew H. Morton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Raúl Chávez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kelly Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew H. Morton.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Disclaimer: The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The authors are solely responsible for the accuracy of the opinions, statements, and interpretations contained in this publication, and these do not necessarily reflect the views of the government or any of Chapin Hall’s partners.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Morton, M.H., Chávez, R. & Moore, K. Prevalence and Correlates of Homelessness Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth. J Primary Prevent 40, 643–660 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-019-00571-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-019-00571-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation