2024 Day of Action: Justice for Children and Incarcerated Marylanders

Join Fenix Youth Project Inc. during the 2024 Maryland General Assembly on February 19, as we advocate with fellow Marylanders in our state’s capital. This statewide grassroots lobbying depends on your leadership.

We are partnering with Maryland Youth Justice Coalition, Jews United for Justice, the Baltimore Algebra Project, the Maryland Second Look Coalition, ACLU Maryland. Racial Justice NOW!, Brotherly Love, Advanced Maryland, and more to push for equitable children’s rights policies this session. Together, we can lift up the humanity of all children and call for an end to racist mass incarceration in Maryland.

Recent released HUD data reveals a 16% increase in Families with children in homeless shelters, or were in a visibly unsheltered situation in the previous year. Unaccompanied youth – a 15% increase over the previous year. Available data indicate that youth experiencing homelessness face disproportionate levels of contact with juvenile justice systems. Recent estimates suggest that 46% of youth who have experienced homelessness have been held in juvenile detention centers at some point, relative to 15% of youth in the general population. A society is not successful if detention centers and prisons continue to be our largest form of public housing. 

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New HUD Data Show Dramatic Increase in Youth and Families in Homeless Shelters

New HUD Data Show Dramatic Increase in Youth and Families in Homeless Shelters, Even While Significantly Undercounting Youth and Families Experiencing Homelessness

On December 15, 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part I (AHAR). The report shows a 12% increase in the overall number of people in homeless shelters, or people who were in a visibly unsheltered situation, on a single night in January, as compared with the previous year’s HUD data.

Among all populations, the greatest increases were:

• Unaccompanied youth – a 15% increase over the previous year

• Families with children – a 16% increase over the previous year

These increases are all the more concerning because HUD data represent a very small fraction of the number of children, youth, and families who experience homelessness. The takeaway from the HUD data is clear: without urgent action now to remove barriers to existing resources, and to prioritize children, youth, and families for new resources, homelessness will continue to skyrocket for all populations. Learn about critical legislation Congress should pass and take action.

When reviewing the new HUD report and media coverage, it’s important to keep in mind that HUD data does not paint the full picture of homelessness for children, youth and families and only attempts to capture data of those who access shelters and those experiencing visible homelessness during the night in January. Learn more about the Pitfalls of HUD’s Point-in-Time Count for Children, Youth and Families Experiencing Homelessness.

The bottom line is that if urgent action is not taken now to amend existing programs and policies to remove barriers and to prioritize children, youth, and families for new resources, homelessness will continue to skyrocket for all populations. There is a strong correlation between childhood and adolescent homelessness and adult homelessness. Thus, ignoring children and youth now is a recipe for continued adult homelessness far into the future.

Federal Definitions of Homelessness Should Not be Different

Legislation Introduced to Foster Success in Education for Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Foster Youth 

A college degree dramatically increases employment and earnings. Although the vast majority of foster and homeless youth want to attend college, these youth experience multiple challenges (such as financial hardship, housing insecurity, poor academic preparation) that undermine enrollment and completion.

The Fostering Success in Higher Education Act would substantially improve state capacity to assist these students, helping them cover the costs of college and providing robust support and mental health services.

The Homeless Children and Youth Act (H.R. 5221) Would Serve Some of the Most Vulnerable Children and Youth, and Prevent Future Homelessness

U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), Bill Posey (R-FL-08), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) reintroduced the Homeless Children and Youth Act (HCYA) (H.R. 5221) on August 15, 2023. This legislation would change how HUD defines homelessness so that more children, youth, and families can access the housing assistance they need

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