Navigating the Housing and Foster Care Systems in Los Angeles County: A Longitudinal Case Study of 24 Transition Age Youth

Homelessness continues to be one of the most pressing policy issues in Los Angeles County, California. Although substantial investments have been made to address it over the past several years, the number of people experiencing homelessness is still large. It is important to address transition age youth, ages 18 to 25, who are experiencing homelessness because resolving homelessness at an early age may prevent chronic homelessness and the consequences of living unsheltered, such as increased morbidity and earlier mortality. This study is the second publication from a project designed to better understand the needs of unstably housed transition age youth navigating both the housing and foster care systems in Los Angeles County. The authors present the findings from a longitudinal data collection effort among transition age youth with foster care involvement who were experiencing housing instability in 2023. The authors followed this group by conducting monthly interviews for up to one year to gain information about their experiences and perspectives regarding their interactions with the foster care system, becoming stably housed, and related supports. This is the first study of its kind to systematically track a group of unstably housed foster care–involved transition age youth in Los Angeles County. This study should interest those who are serving transition age youth experiencing housing instability and involved with the foster care system, including government, social service, and health care organizations, as well as educators, employers, practitioners, advocacy groups, researchers, and others interested in addressing the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles County.