Youth Homelessness In America

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Taking advantage of the pleasures and aspects of life that occur unconsciously is something that almost every person can find themselves doing at least once in their life. A family, friends, a home, and all the opportunities they are offered seem like rights, possessions that are given to us. It’s not until they are gone—until one loses a family member or friend, is forced to leave their home, or isn’t offered the opportunities they were once given—when people recognize how vital those pieces of their life are to a normal, happy existence. This occurrence is even more precious to the ones who don’t have enough control to gain them back: children. The children who have lost these aspects of life and have a hard time retaining them are the ones who end up as homeless youth. Within the United States, the history of homeless children is not as evident as it is today. Currently, homeless youth have been categorized into different types, all showing prevalence in America. The various causes of youth homelessness …show more content…
In the past, youth homelessness was first paid attention to during the Great Depression. Stretching across America, families were without employment, food, and housing. This caused a great deal of people to live on the streets or in shelters—including the children. Without any other option, children all around the country drifted from one play to the next with their families. On estimate, 250,000 kids experienced homelessness during the tragedy. The Great Depression was the first occurrence that brought attention to youth homelessness; before then, it wasn’t seen as an issue. After the Great Depression, youth homelessness didn’t disappear. In fact, the amount of homeless adolescents began to continually increase every year. While the reason for youth homelessness was no longer the Great Depression, many other causes began to arise (Moore), (Cech),