2019 NLADA Annual Conference-Innovative Justice

From coast to coast, youth homelessness is a growing crisis. Homelessness not only leaves young people without a home but also leaves them vulnerable to illness, discrimination, and criminalization of their poverty. Criminalization then causes additional barriers in accessing employment, education, housing, and more. This presentation will address the underecognized civil and criminal legal issues faced by youth experiencing homelessness, with a focus on the youth most affected – youth of color, LGTBQ+ youth, youth with disabilities, parenting youth, and young people who live at the intersections of these identities. This presentation will utilize an interactive activity that requires participants to reflect on the web of systematic criminalization of homelessness and recognize why multi-disciplinary services are essential. The presentation will also highlight two effective service models: the Homeless Youth Legal and Advocacy Project (HYLAP) out of Think Dignity in San Diego and the Youth Justice Project (YJP) out of Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, both of which utilize the power of holistic support in breaking the chains of poverty and increasing autonomy and self-determination for young people.