Washington, DC (May 8) – Today at the John A. Wilson Building, Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin, chair of the Council’s Human Services Committee, hosted DC Action and the Youth Economic Justice Coalition for a public briefing on DC Action’s new report, the State of Youth Homelessness in the District of Columbia (2025). The report was authored by Rachel White, J.D., DC Action’s Deputy Director of Youth Advocacy, and aims to improve understanding of what drives youth homelessness, how it impacts people’s lives, and, ultimately, what policymakers need to do to end youth homelessness. Some of the report findings include:
- In the District of Columbia, 2,086 youth ages 18–24 were served across all homelessness systems in FY24, according to the DC Department of Human Services. That number rises to 2,678 when you include 102 unaccompanied minors under 18 and 490 25-year-olds served by youth-specific programs.
- The number of young people experiencing homelessness has increased over the last half-decade while the number of beds available in the youth homelessness system has declined by 16% over the same period, from a high of 704 in FY20 to just 592 in FY24.
- While current funding of the youth homelessness system may appear to have increased over the last five years, it represents a slight decrease in real dollars when adjusted for inflation.
- The District spends roughly just one-tenth of one percent of its total budget on addressing youth homelessness. In FY25, it budgeted $22 million for 13 community-based nonprofit organizations to provide housing, case management, and other supportive services to District youth experiencing homelessness.
In addition to presenting the report’s key findings and recommendations, the briefing featured a panel of experts, including advocates, youth homelessness service providers, and directly impacted youth. All spoke on a range of aspects and their experiences, including administering programs as a provider, accessing services as a young person, and advocating on the issue. Below are highlights from their scripted remarks:
Regine Elie, Executive Director of the Healthy Babies Project, spoke of the gaps in services for expectant and parenting youth, saying, “Expectant and parenting youth face unique challenges that the system rarely accounts for. They struggle to access vouchers because eligibility criteria don’t reflect their situations. There’s limited prenatal support, almost no access to child care, and few programs that truly center their dual identities as youth and caregivers. We expect these young people to raise children while navigating a system that doesn’t recognize or support their full lives. The outcomes are worse, but they don’t have to be. If we provide wraparound support—child care, parenting coaches, tailored housing options—we can actually disrupt intergenerational cycles of homelessness.”
Debby Shore, Executive Director of Sasha Bruce, spoke about the need for greater funding stability for providers and the unique needs of young people, saying, “We know that structure and accountability are important, but those should be coupled with flexibility and individualized support. If we want to stop the churn, we need stable, youth-specific housing that prioritizes healing and ensures youth can stay long enough to build the foundation they need to thrive.”
Erin Whelan, Executive Director of SMYAL, spoke of the importance of meeting young people where they are, including ensuring that providers and services are culturally competent and provide a safe and supportive space for all young people. “LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in the homeless population—and yet, they’re often placed in programs that don’t affirm who they are. I’ve worked with trans youth who were misgendered daily, who have been told to hide who they are to stay safe. These aren’t minor issues—they’re safety issues. The result is that many LGBTQ+ youth leave the system entirely and end up in more dangerous situations. The system should be a safe haven. That means training staff, creating affirming policies, and building programs where youth can be their full selves without fear.”
Jorge Membreño, Director of Youth Advocacy at DC Action, wrapped up the panel by stressing the need for continued and strategic investments in youth homelessness, as well as the importance of improving how agencies support providers, remarking that “At a time when we are all hyper-aware of threats to our District budget and revenue, we must ensure every dollar is being well targeted and going as far as it can. That is why our investments in the youth homelessness system must be guided by strategic plans, undergo regular evaluation, and to be driven by the on-the-ground expertise of youth and community partners who serve our young people every day.” Additional recommendations from the report included:
- Mandate recurring, community engagement-driven strategic planning and evaluation processes for the youth homelessness system
- Hold youth homelessness services harmless from budget cuts
- Fix administrative barriers in the contracts
- Break down silos and fund cross-agency collaboration.
Resources
- The full State of Youth Homelessness in the District of Columbia (2025) is available here.
- Demographic numbers and charts are available on pages 13 to 14
- Funding numbers and charts for youth homelessness services are available on pages 33 to 37.
- The report’s full recommendations for how to reduce youth homelessness and improve outcomes are available on pages 51 to 54.
- A visual summary of the key facts from the State of Youth Homelessness Report is available here.