About Youth Homelessness In St. Thomas & Elgin County

• It has been estimated that there are 100 homeless youth in St. Thomas & Elgin County at any given time.
• Youth homelessness is most often unseen, with most homeless youth “couch surfing” or staying with friends or family on a temporary basis.
• Youth homelessness is complicated. It has no single cause. Many homeless youth will encounter struggles academically, experience compromised mental wellness, experiment with substances, and experience interactions with law enforcement, have problems at home that generate high levels of relationship tension and, are more likely to come from a household where the parents experienced similar problems.
• If a homeless youth is not given the right supports, he or she will likely become homeless several times during their lifetime – most homeless adults first experienced homelessness as a teenager. ASSISTING HOMELESS YOUTH TO FIND HOUSING & SUPPORTS NOT ONLY REDUCES YOUTH HOMELESSNESS NOW, BUT IT ALSO REDUCES HOMELESSNESS IN THE FUTURE.