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Transitional Age Youth, My Peers

When most people think of homeless individuals they think of two groups: older people and single parents with dependent children. However, with the recession more young people are left jobless and homeless. Young people between the ages of 18 and 24 have the highest unemployment rate of adults. The young adult homeless population has recently grown over 9 percent. Some young adults can easily move back with their families but some do not have that form of family support to fall back on or don’t have families that can financially support them.

With the young adult homeless population growing, homeless shelters need to start carving out a place for this group. For young adults to turn to a homeless shelter it needs to provide services that they require, such as employment, education and counseling programs. The programs that work best to help these young adults to move into a secure adulthood are ones that give them individual attention and the opportunity to develop marketable skills.

This really hit home for me, because my friends and I fit into this age group. As we approach the realm of adulthood it is important to be independent and make things happen for ourselves. Not being able to meet those aspects of adulthood would be emotionally devastating. I think it is important to have shelters and resources to help all homeless individuals. With the young adult population growing we need to be aware of the needs that are unmet and work to meet the unmet needs. Acknowledging that young adults are in need of help in this area is the first step to solving to problem.
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