Pregnant, Parenting, and Homeless: A Startling Look at the Numbers

Living in LA, which has the second highest homeless population in America, I see homelessness every day. And I continue to reach out, explore new research, and share what I know. The more I uncover, the more I see the layers of the issue, its root causes, and the people it affects. I’ve been writing about homelessness and at-risk single mothers — moms who aren’t homeless yet but may become homeless real soon. Now, I’m sharing news about another at-risk population that again many people may not think about: Pregnant women and young parents who find themselves on the streets.

The facts we know

New research by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago shows that there are 4.2 million adolescents and young adults in the U.S. experiencing homelessness during any 12-month period, and many of these homeless youth are pregnant or young parents.

From there, the statistics get worse. In the study, 32% of young women, ages 18 to 25, and 8% of young men, ages 18 to 25, reported having physical custody of at least one child while homeless.

In addition, about 1.1 million children have a young parent who experienced homelessness in the past year. This is hard for the parents and hard for the children, as more and more research shows that prolonged periods of instability…