A new report on the state of youth homelessness in the District of Columbia was released in late April by DC Action, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to advocating for the well-being of children, youth, and families in the District. It studied those experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18 to 24, aiming to help lawmakers understand the importance of services for youth experiencing homelessness and to encourage a plan that works to end youth homelessness.
“The primary question was ‘what can the District do to make youth homelessness rare?’” DC Action Deputy Director of Youth Advocacy Rachel White told Street Sense. “In order to do that, we have to determine what are the root causes and contributing factors of youth homelessness, what currently exists in the District to support youth homelessness, what are the gaps in the services… and then, like, based on all that information, what are the recommendations to bring it closer to ending.”
The report, primarily authored by White, was a collaborative effort. With help from other staff members from DC Action, homelessness service providers, youth with lived experience, partner organizations, and DC Action’s youth advisory team, the report took about two years from start to finish.
The report asserts in its first section that there are three root causes of homelessness: racism, poverty, and unaffordable housing. DC Action also included identity, economic status, and lived experience as contributing factors to District youth experiencing homelessness. Youth who are Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, or young parents — especially those already facing financial instability — are more likely to experience homelessness in the District.
According to the report, each year about 10,000 District youth experience housing insecurity, and more than 2,000 experience literal homelessness. Of the 12,000, 70% are Black, 18% identify as Latino or Hispanic, and 1% identify as Afro-Latino, according to the report. When looking further into the disparities, DC Action discovered 40% identify as LGBTQ+, according to the 2024 Youth Count, and 90% of District youth who are parents experiencing homelessness are women.
DC Action’s report stated there has been an increase in young people experiencing homelessness since 2020. However, a few weeks after the report was released, the 2025 Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Point-in-Time Count came out, showing a drop in youth homelessness. Although from 2023 to 2024 the number of youth experiencing homelessness increased, in 2025, there was a 42-person or 13% decrease from 2024. Despite the decrease in the last year, since 2021, the number of District youth experiencing homelessness has increased by 13%.
Meanwhile, the city funded 592 beds in the youth homelessness system in 2024. That is a 16% decrease from the 704 beds funded about a decade ago.
Despite inflation, the city funds allocated for the community-based nonprofit organizations that provide services to District youth experiencing homelessness have remained the same over the last 10 years when adjusted for inflation. The city currently allocates around $22 million per year. Although the amount of money contributed is increasing when adjusted for inflation, White said it is a “de facto cut.”
“This is a direct result of chronic underinvestment in the system, and the system continues to be flat funded, allocating up to the same dollar amount year after year,” White said.
D.C. councilmembers will cast their first vote on the city’s fiscal 2026 budget on July 14, deciding which priorities — including funding for youth homelessness services — will shape the District’s spending. The mayor’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal suggests a $1.6 million cut in funding for youth homelessness services. This includes cuts of $931K to permanent supportive housing/extended transitional housing, $445K to transitional housing, and $236K to the homelessness continuum.
White pointed to the report’s conclusion, which offers solutions to youth homelessness, as the most important part. Right now, there is no mandate for the District to create an evaluation process or a recurring strategic plan to review the state of youth homelessness.
In 2017, D.C. came out with Solid Foundations, which was a plan dedicated to ending homelessness. However, with the passing of eight years and the COVID-19 pandemic, White said a lot has changed since then, so she believes there should be a mandate to “review where we are now.”
“Without a strategic plan, we’re throwing, like, noodles at the wall and hoping they’ll stick without knowing what are the actual target resources and things that are needed for the specialized population within the larger experiencing home experience,” White said.
On May 8, DC Action held a public briefing sharing the results of the report. During the briefing, two D.C. youth who have experienced homelessness were given a platform to share their experiences with youth homelessness. One of them, Flo White, no relation to Rachel White, is now a youth advocate working with Sasha Bruce Youthwork, and first experienced homelessness at 19 years old.
A lack of financial support, limited financial literacy, and the “overwhelming pressure of balancing two jobs while attending school” led to her losing her apartment.
“I was doing everything I could to stay afloat … My housing journey has been nothing short of a challenge,” she said.
She found out she was pregnant while living in youth transitional housing, and she was unable to remain there due to their policies.
“While the relationship [with her baby’s father] was unstable, I convinced myself that moving in with him would be better than being on the streets or back in the shelter system while waiting for a replacement [for her housing],” she said. “I thought I was choosing the lesser of two evils, but it quickly became clear that … it was the wrong decision. The relationship became quickly, emotionally, and initially abusive, and after a few months, I realized it was not a healthy environment to bring a child into.”
She added, “I know I’m not the only one in this situation. That’s why we need a youth-centered homelessness system that recognizes the unique needs of young parents and youth who are experiencing homelessness.”
Rachel White said the release of the report has triggered involvement from individuals involved in the causes that affect those experiencing homelessness.
“Since the release of the report, we have been contacted by folks from different sectors, such as the domestic violence education sector,” she said. “So, hopefully this report can also serve as a tool … to provide more supportive services and, you know, enhance the safety net for youth experiencing homelessness.”
This article originally appeared in Street Sense’s June 4, 2025 edition.
