According to the Huffington Post, a study reveals the number one cause of youth homelessness. Paula Braitstein is the researcher behind the study. Braitstein has affiliation with the University of Toronto and is based in Kenya. The data was collected from “49 studies with a total of 13,559 participants from 24 countries, including 21 developing countries. No one was older than 24.”

Of the data collected, poverty was reported to be the largest factor of homelessness. About thirty-nine percent of participants in the sample claimed poverty as their reasoning for being homeless. The runner up reason for homelessness was family conflict, at thirty-two percent. The third highest reasoning for homelessness was abuse, at twenty-six percent.

Now that a study has been conducted to highlight the factors associated with homelessness, the next step is setting forth solutions. While this study is useful in terms of numbers and statistics, it is not essential. Poverty, family conflict, and abuse are not surprising. When I first read the title of the article, I immediately thought I would be surprised by the “number one cause.” This post serves as a resource to those who may follow the Huffington Post and happen to come across this article. This article highlights the issue of youth homelessness briefly, but fails to offer a clear purpose or solution. The few solutions the post offers are underdeveloped. However, the article claims that because there are a lack of youth homelessness data reviews, this is its essential purpose.

Citation

Seaman, Andrew M. “Study Reveals No. 1 Cause Of Youth Homelessness.” Huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/study-reveals-no-1-cause-of-youth-homelessness_us_57057deee4b053766188a3a5>.