KEY RESOURCES

• Voices from the Street: A Survey of Homeless Youth by Their Peers, Nell Bernstein and Lisa K. Foster (CRB-08-004, March 2008).
  To shed light on this group of hidden and vulnerable young people, CRB conducted a survey in which homeless and formerly homeless youth completed over 200 interviews with their homeless peers across the state. The youth interviewed describe their experiences – how they became homeless, what life on the street is like, their interactions with police, their education and aspirations, their mental health experiences, how they go about getting help and the services they need, and the changes they would like to see happen in policy or law. This report received the 2008 National Conference of State Legislatures Notable Documents Award for Innovative Study.
• Voices from the Street: Homeless Youth Speak Out on State Policy (2009).
  This 30 minute video presents the major findings of the HYP survey and the policy recommendations generated at six seminars held in Sacramento in 2007-08. Young people, adult experts, researchers and service providers discuss the issues related to youth homelessness.

OTHER RESOURCES

The following material developed through the HYP is listed chronologically, most recent first.

• California Experts on Youth Homelessness (November 2011). The following contacts are good resources for policymakers and others who wish to learn more about youth homelessness and hear from experts who work directly with homeless youth and have experience in related areas.
• Struggling to Survive: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning Homeless Youth on the Streets of California, Shahera Hyatt, (March 2011).
  This report highlights the challenges faced by LGBTQ homeless youth in California and offers policy recommendations designed to reduce disparities and improve the lives of these youth.
• Programs Serving California’s Homeless Youth: Results of a Point-in-Time Survey (January 2011). A summary analysis of our findings of available programs serving unaccompanied homeless youth in California.
  • Programs by County (January 2011). A comprehensive statewide, county-by-county inventory of existing programs that specifically serve unaccompanied homeless youth.
  • Programs by Legislative District (January 2011). A comprehensive statewide inventory of existing programs serving unaccompanied homeless youth by legislative district.
• Studies in the News, Special Supplement: Homeless Youth. (November 2010).
  This special edition of Studies in the News is in recognition of the first California Runaway and Homeless Youth Month. This supplement highlights the issue of youth homelessness through a collection of selected resources including reports, newspaper series, and audio and video presentations. Resources range from those just released to important overview material from 2007.
• Estimating California's Homeless Population, Lisa K. Foster (October 2010).
  This report concludes that a reliable statewide estimate of the number – and characteristics – of unaccompanied homeless youth does not exist. It explains why it is difficult to collect data on this population and describes the specific federal and state sources that provide information. It also presents Action Steps for accomplishing this task.
• National Experts on Youth Homelessness. (October 2010)
  This list consists of policy, legal, or research experts on youth homelessness at the national level.
• Relationships Beget Relationships:  Why Understanding Attachment Theory is Crucial to Program Design for Homeless Youth, Dr. Toni Vaughn Heineman, (June 2010).
  This HYP Special Topic report explores how attachment theory provides useful insights about why homeless youth don’t easily accept the help and support that adults offer, and answers that help develop policies and programs to successfully address their needs.
• Homeless Youth: Bibliography and Resources,  Lisa K. Foster (CRB-08-010, July 2008).
  This resource document includes an annotated bibliography drawn from a wide range of academic and program-based research, agendas from CRB public policy seminars on a range of homeless youth issues held during 2007-8, and contact information for the seminar presenters.
• Voices from the Street Youth Survey: Some Key Findings (Revised July 2010).
  This brief describes the key findings from the 2008 CRB report, Voices from the Street: A Survey of Homeless Youth by Their Peers.
• The Educational Success of Homeless Youth in California: Challenges and Solutions, Patricia F. Julianelle (CRB-07-012, October 2007).
  Most homeless youth who are on their own are not in school. Yet the majority of homeless and formerly homeless youth recently surveyed by the California Research Bureau expressed the desire to return to school and have life goals that require extensive education to achieve. This report discusses key issues related to the challenges homeless youth face in achieving their educational goals. It describes federal and state programs and funding, identifies successful practices and model programs, and presents policy options that address these challenges.
• Preparing Youth to Participate in State Policy Making, Lisa K. Foster (CRB-07-009, September 2007).
  Adding youth voices to the state policymaking process, and encouraging youth participation in developing the policies that directly affect them, can result in more thoughtful and effective legislation. This report presents information about how youth organizations currently prepare youth for their role in state policymaking. It shares the perspectives of state legislative and administrative policymakers on how youth can most effectively participate in this process, and describes how young people feel about both their preparation and participation.

CRB public policy reports can be downloaded from CA Research Bureau Reports at http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/CRBSearch.aspx.