The State Index rates all 50 states and Washington, D.C. based on effort to end youth homelessness.
The True Colors Fund is excited to present, in partnership with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, the State Index on Youth Homelessness – a first-of-its-kind resource that evaluates all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness.
The State Index provides a snapshot of some of the legal, systemic, and environmental barriers that youth experiencing homelessness face. The State Index assigns all 50 states and the District of Columbia a score of up to 100 and provides concrete steps that states can take to protect the safety, development, health, and dignity of youth experiencing homelessness.
Here’s how you can take action on youth homelessness.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re from Kansas or California. In the United States of America, everyone deserves a place to call home. As Americans, we have a responsibility to protect the safety, health, and dignity of every young person experiencing homelessness,” said Cyndi Lauper, co-founder and board member of the True Colors Fund. “Youth who experience homelessness are the most resilient young people I know. It is our our dream for this State Index to help each state amp up its work to ensure these young people can reach their full potential.”
We call youth homelessness a “community issue,” because it’ll take all of us working together to end it. The State Index is full of recommendations to help elected officials improve their state’s work to end youth homelessness. We need your help getting it on their radar.
Send a message to your governor with your state's score and recommendations for improvement. Complete this form and we'll generate a personalized email and tweet for you.