YOUTH AS TRUTH-TELLERS AND RIGHTS-HOLDERS: LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS TO ENABLE YOUTH HOUSING SECURITY

In the first pan-Canadian study on youth homelessness, 57.8% of reported prior involvement with child protection services. Indeed, transitions from government institutions (e.g., child/youth protection, inpatient mental health treatment, justice system) represent common pathways into homelessness for across North America. This article examines young people’s experiences navigating services to identify institutional, legislative, and policy processes that pose problems experiencing or at risk as well show promise promotion interests, well-being youth. Our participatory research team explored homeless youth’s histories services, seeking clarify sociolegal mechanisms in beyond system make people vulnerable homelessness. Youth adult co-researchers interviewed 38 individual (aged 16–29) who completed 64 qualitative institutional history interviews. According our analysis, identified following practices implicated their homelessness: use totalizing institutions, criminalization runaways, abrupt cessation service delivery 18 years age, a systemic failure view rights-holders, an overly complex emancipation process.