NO PLACE TO CALL HOME.

• Author: Press, Jessica
• Position: NATIONAL - Teen homelessness

Teen homelessness is on the rise across the country. What can be done about it?

The first night Han* slept in a homeless shelter, she cried into her pillow for hours. Then 17, Han had grown up in an abusive environment in Ogden, Utah. Her mother, she says, would often lash out at her--both physically and verbally. As a result, Han was in constant fear for her life.

With no family members able to take her in and nowhere else to turn, she eventually made the gut-wrenching decision to run away. She packed as much as she could fit into a backpack--some clothes, a toothbrush, and a comb--and set out for a nearby homeless shelter.

Looking back on her first night there, Han, now 18, recalls lying on a wooden bunk bed in a room with three other girls. At the time, she was overwhelmed by a combination of fear, sadness, and relief.

"I knew I was finally safe," she says. "But at the same time, I felt like I'd just lost everything."

Han was one of an estimated 700,000 American teens ages 13 to 17 who experience homelessness each year. In some cases, parents are homeless along with their children. But many teens are on the streets alone. Without a permanent home with their families, they're forced to move from one friend's house to another or to sleep in shelters, cars, or motels. Sometimes, they even have to sleep outside--in parks or alleys.

Like Han, most homeless teens have run away to escape abuse or a family member's drug or alcohol problems. Others have been kicked out after clashing with a parent over their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

When teens are homeless on their own, they face unique--and staggering--challenges. They often suffer from severe stress, depression, addiction, or loneliness. Many of them lack a strong support system, such as trusted friends and relatives they can turn to for help. Some struggle to stay in school, putting their ability to get future jobs in jeopardy.

"Young people experiencing homelessness have typically dealt with many forms of trauma and adversity," says David Howard of Covenant House, an organization that provides support for homeless teens. "These young people may not have a home, but they do have hopes, dreams, and determination."

Sleeping on the Streets

The U.S. has dealt with teen homelessness for generations. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, more than 250,000 homeless kids rode freight trains across the country in search of work. Their situation improved as more jobs became available in the 1940s.

Today, youth homelessness appears to be rising in many areas of the country. In King County, Washington, for example, the number of homeless teens increased by 700 percent between 2016 and 2017. In San Diego, California, the number jumped by about 40 percent in that time.

The problem even extends to college campuses. A recent national survey found that nine percent of university students were homeless in the last year.

One reason for the apparent increase, experts say, is that communities are getting better at collecting data on the number of homeless teens. That's a good thing, notes Howard: Having accurate figures is the first step toward addressing the problem. Still, authorities agree that the number of kids in crisis remains alarmingly high.

While the causes vary, homeless teens tend to have one thing in common. Most have few people--if anyone--they can rely on for help.

That was certainly the case for Savohn. The summer before his senior year of high school in Orlando, Florida, Savohn says, he had a huge fight with his mom and was kicked out...