Help for Runaway Homeless Youth in Philadelphia

Homelessness means more than simply not having a home. It also includes lack of security, stability, privacy, safety, and the ability to control the living space even when, technically, there is a home. The US Department of Education defines homeless youth as youth who lack a fixed, regular, and nighttime residence.

Tens of thousands of young people across the U.S. experience homelessness each year. They face danger constantly and are victims of robbery, sexual assault, human trafficking, and physical assault on a regular basis. Close to 600 Philadelphians ages 13 to 25 were homeless and unaccompanied on a single night in August 2016. There were 38,823 homeless children in Pennsylvania during the 2017-2018 school year, with 7,112 children and youth identified as homeless just in the Philadelphia region. Our goal is to end the cycle of homelessness for these youth.

These young people suffer from unstable or inadequate housing. By definition, as a homeless youth they stay at least one night in a place that is not their home because they could not stay at home, ran away from home, did not have a home, and/or stayed at a shelter, outdoors, in a squat, a car or public transportation, under a bridge, or in a temporary arrangement with another person (i.e. couch-surfing).

Many of the homeless youth are referred to as “throw away” youth (youth who have been asked, told, or forced to leave home by parents or caregivers with no alternate care arranged) and may include other vulnerable youth populations, such as current and former foster youth and youth with mental health or other issues. Foster children in particular, who often opt-out of care when they reach the age of 18, are susceptible to homelessness. Working with the foster care system to ensure children have the support they need if they opt out is one of our primary objectives.

Youth lacking a high school diploma or GED had a 346% higher risk of homelessness than did young people who completed high school.

From the Chapin Hall, University of Chicago report Voices of Youth Count: Missed Opportunities, 2017.

We at Good Saint Anne Runaway Homeless Youth are dedicated to helping the children who want to go back to school and/or find a job. We want to keep these children off the street so they have the stability to build a good life for themselves.

Our mission

The mission of Good Saint Anne Runaway Homeless Youth is to provide resources to youth in Philadelphia who are without a home or safe place to live. Read more about our mission.

Donate

Donate to Good Saint Anne Runaway Homeless Youth to support our work. Our goal is to provide safety for homeless runaway youth of Philadelphia.

Good Saint Anne Runaway Homeless Youth is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization – EIN# 82-2269792.