Top 5 Challenges Young People Face in the Housing System
Finding stable housing can seem impossible for some but Outreach can make it possible.
Introduction
Housing is tough no matter where you are trying to get it or how you are attempting to enter the housing system. But for young people (ages 14-24 for the purpose of this article), there are especially tough obstacles to face.
Often there is a disconnect between home-owners and the newest generation seeking housing because of the different obstacles, hoops to jump through, and contrasting economies. But the goal of this article is to bridge that disconnect with some informational guidance and understanding of the various obstacles that specifically youth and young adults may face in our housing system.
Outreach Inc. continues to strive for a compassionate connection between those we serve and those who help us serve and this post will attempt to bring to light a few of the biggest issues surrounding housing for young people, as well as introduce some of the services we offer that empower youth and young adults in their journey towards stable housing and sustainable living.
1. Lack of Affordable Housing
Challenge: Rising rents and a limited supply of affordable housing impact young people, especially those without significant financial resources. According to listings on Apartments.com in Indianapolis, the average 1-bedroom apartment costs $1,101 monthly. To afford something like this (and be accepted by most rental companies), a young person must be making 3x that, so $3303. This is just below $40,000 annually. Most young people are not making this much, nor close to it, let alone making enough to support their kids or partners if they have them.
Indianapolis housing costs continue to rise! According to the 2024-PIT report, Marion County’s median rent exceeded FMR (Fair Market Rate) for studios and 1-bedrooms.
1 in 3 Marion County households spend MORE than 30% of their gross income on housing costs, alone, as well.
This all adds up to mean that housing is not as affordable as it is advertised in Indianapolis, and additional support is widely needed until this changes.
So here is how we support:
Housing assessments (often called CES or CES assessments, which stands for Coordinated Entry Services) is one way to enter into the housing system if a person is staying outside, in a shelter, in a car or place without heat or running water AND/OR for someone fleeing violence of any kind.
Program Centers are another way for young people to connect with community resources like eviction lawyers, domestic violence educators, healthcare and food stamps. Our program center often hosts representatives from various community partners to help young people network.
Diversion Referrals might be a possible pathway for someone who is not staying outside or fleeing violence, but is staying with a friend or family member and has a 2 week period before they are kicked out or have to leave. Diversion Specialists help young people look into affordable housing options, navigate the application process and assist with mediation in times of conflict that affect housing.
2. Limited Credit History
Challenge: Many young people struggle with securing a rental because they have little to no credit history, let alone even understand credit. Many people do not understand credit nor how to use it to help them with car rentals, house-hunting, school applications, etc. Some young people have had to take out significant loans to pull through a crisis or have had a relative use their name fraudulently when they were a child, thus damaging their credit score and leaving them with debt. This all proves to be a significant barrier in rental applications.
How We Help: Our organization helps young people build credit through coaching presentations such as Credit 101 and provides alternative methods of proving reliability, such as co-signers or working with landlords who understand the challenges young renters face. As well as finance classes, budget help and credit education! Provided by local banks, coaches on staff and housing navigators.
3. Discrimination and Bias
Challenge: Young renters, especially those from marginalized communities, face discrimination based on age, race, or gender identity when applying for housing and if they do make it through lease signing, they run the risk of eviction, as there are few protections in Indiana for tenants and Indiana holds one of the highest rankings for evictions.
How We Help: Our nonprofit advocates for fair housing practices through testimonials at legislative hearings. We provide resources for navigating discrimination such as inclusive organizations like Damien Center, Planned Parenthood, and Indiana Youth Group. We connect youth to safe, welcoming spaces where they can live without fear of bias.
Our Program Centers are led by a team of compassionate, authentic, and welcoming people who see each person as an individual. Building relationships is the foundation of Outreach and we strive to do that in every area of our services, including not only connecting with clients and young adults but also with the volunteers, donors and partners in our community.
4. Inexperience with the Rental Process
Challenge: On average, over 920 evictions and over 110 foreclosures occurred in Indianapolis, each month, in 2022! Often evictions happen because young tenants are not familiar with the intricacies of their lease agreements, the grievance process for their property management company or their rights as a tenant.
How We Help: Outreach offers educational programs, workshops, and one-on-one support to guide young people through the rental process and empower them with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
Eviction-education (open discussions and programming hours with eviction lawyers). Housing sustainability training at the program center. Support from coaches and resources advocates at program centers.
Housing Discussion Hour on 1st and 3rd monday of each month
Coaching, which gives young adults accountability, support and mentorship experiences
Local banks coming in to help with budgeting and credit education
5. Emotional and Mental Health Struggles
Challenge: The stress of finding housing, especially in a competitive market, can lead to anxiety, depression, or a sense of helplessness.
How We Help: Describe how our organization provides mental health support or connections to resources that help youth cope with stress during the housing search. This could include counseling, peer support, or holistic care programs.
Damien Center, Underground, Fountain Square Counseling, HealthNet, and more.Conclusion
Young people face unique obstacles to housing: lack of affordable housing, limited credit history or even basic understanding of credit, discrimination and bias, inexperience with the rental process and emotional and mental health struggles, all of which are exasperated by the barriers that accompany housing instability and homelessness.
There are many obstacles, some of which are not touched upon in this post but set people back from obtaining something as basic and necessary as housing.
Outreach Inc. is working to bridge the disconnect between the housing system and youth and young adults facing crisis, housing instability, or homelessness. We work to address these challenges with the tools, skills, and teams we have and offer solutions through group programming at our Program Centers, Housing Navigation and Homelessness Diversion, as well as support and mentorship from our coaches and resource advocates.
Change is committed through community. Like they say it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to do many things, including get housed, stay housed, and grow.
You can seek services at any one of our locations or reach out to our triage line for questions about housing.
Or if you are looking to help implement change or be a part of the community that is working to bridge the gap between the housing system and those seeking housing, please reach out to our team about donor questions or volunteer opportunities.