Youth REACH MD

A Message from Youth REACH MD on the
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the 2020 Youth Count

Are you under age 25 and struggling to find or maintain reliable housing? Your voice matters! Take the standard or guided survey online or find your area’s Youth REACH MD survey locations to be counted today.

Every night in America, thousands of youth are living in cars, vacant buildings or couch surfing with family or friends. We don't typically see them on the streets or in shelters. They are often doing their best to go to work or school each day, but they lack a safe, stable place to call home. The reasons are varied – some have left abusive situations, others may have left the foster care or juvenile justice systems with nowhere to go, still others were rejected by their families for who they are or their families were just no longer able to support them because of their own challenges in meeting their basic needs.

Experts agree there is a need for a coordinated and consistent approach to better understand and address youth homelessness. One of the challenges in addressing youth homelessness or housing instability is knowing how many youth and young adults are experiencing homelessness, what their experiences are like, and what are the supportive services that they need.

Youth REACH MD (Reach out, Engage, Assist, & Count to end Homelessness) is an effort to begin to address youth homelessness in Maryland by obtaining information on the number, characteristics, and needs of youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability to help inform efforts to end and prevent youth homelessness. Learn more about Youth REACH MD.