Youth Homelessness
In the past year, over 1,500 unhoused young adults ages 18 to 24 have sought help from the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida and our partners. We estimate that more than 60% were homeless for longer than a year.
Equally tragic, our public school districts (Orange, Osceola and Seminole), report there have been 427 unhoused and unaccompanied students ages 16 and up in the 2023-24 school year. These are teens who are not living with parents or guardians. They are young people forced to navigate life on their own while living in shelters, motels, cars — or even on the streets.
Without intervention, research shows, teens experiencing homelessness are more likely to become homeless adults, and those who are already young adults are at increased risk for chronic homelessness, living in shelters or on the streets for years to come.
This is why we launched Brighter Days, our youth homelessness community initiative. It is an historic effort to provide hope, help and housing to Central Florida’s 16- to 24-year-olds. Not only do we aim to end homelessness among this young generation, but we seek to create a safety net to prevent homelessness for the generations who follow.
“I want to leave a footprint in this community — I want a chance to show that all things are possible. Because I was once the one who was struggling, who was living in a car with my 1-year-old while I was pregnant with my son. I was at the bottom, and I want to show others there is a way up.”
— Ellease, now 26, a Brighter Days advisor with lived experience of homelessness
It is more expensive than ever to make the leap to adulthood. The cost of a car, groceries and, especially, housing have soared. Across Central Florida, for instance, rent for an average two-bedroom apartment has climbed by nearly $700 a month in the past five years, making it all but impossible to get by on entry-level wages. If you come from a family that can’t bankroll this transition — or at least cushion the blow — it is all too easy to fall behind.
The Brighter Days Community Initiative, led by the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, aims to combat youth homelessness by creating a network of community support and innovative housing solutions. Using a housing-first approach, this effort ensures dignity and safety by providing immediate access to housing, followed by access to education, jobs, healthcare and peer support to empower youth towards stability and growth.
Key Services include:
Housing - workers help youth identify housing options and provide rental and deposit assistance.
Access Points – agency partners trained to connect youth to housing resources.
System Guides – workers trained to help those at risk of homelessness navigate their options and to directly support youth in crisis.
Diversion – workers who help youth find alternatives to shelters/crisis housing before becoming homeless.
Street Outreach – workers identify young people experiencing homelessness and help them access resources.
Drop-In Centers – offer help with basic needs (crisis counseling, food, laundry, showers, phone-charging), connection to other programs, and diversion.
Employment and Education Resources – education workshops, training sessions and outreach programs.
