Lauper and the True Colors Fund, in partnership with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, have unveiled the State Index on Youth Homelessnessa 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 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.
According to a recent study from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, one in 30 youth aged 13 to 17 and one in 10 young adults aged 18 to 25 experience some form of homelessness in the U.S. each year. The study also found that LGBTQ youth are 120-percent more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. The State Index on Youth Homelessness takes LGBTQ inclusion into account in its findings and provides recommendations on how states can address the unique needs of LGBTQ youth.
Illinois' state ranking is 28th, with an overall score of 43.
The index is at truecolorsfund.org/index/ .