Citation

Wiggans A. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 1989; 11(1): 5-29.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0190-7409(89)90003-0

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article explores the processes that lead up to a young person becoming homeless. Most reports have focused on the problems young people have when they arrive in major cities. This article takes a different starting point; it explores the experiences of young people in areas "away from the bright lights" and considers whether or not homelessness is identifiable before it becomes a crisis. It explains the range of housing and support available within a youth's local community. All the available evidence indicates that youth homelessness is essentially a local phenomenon. This study concludes, therefore, that future policy developments and resource allocation need to be shaped with this in mind.