Teenage Housing Assistance: Shelter, Transitional Living, and Housing Help for Youth

Teenage housing assistance at a glance

Most help for young people comes from a small set of federal programs, run locally by nonprofits, schools, and housing agencies. The table below matches common situations to the program built for them.

Getting safe tonight as a teen

If you have nowhere safe to sleep tonight, the National Runaway Safeline is the best first call. You can call or text 1-800-786-2929, or chat on its website, any hour. Staff will not judge you, and you do not have to give your name. They can find a youth shelter near you, help you think through your options, and connect you with family if you want that.

The Safeline’s Home Free program helps young people ages 12 to 21 get back to a safe adult or safe place at no cost to the youth. You can also dial 211 and say you are a young person who needs a youth shelter. If you are in danger right now, call 911. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 at any time.

Short-term youth shelters for minors

The federal Runaway and Homeless Youth program, run by the HHS Family and Youth Services Bureau, funds Basic Center Programs across the country. They serve young people under 18 who have run away or are at risk of running away.

• Shelter: up to 21 days in a safe, supervised place.
• Basics: food, clothing, and medical care or referrals.
• Counseling: individual and family counseling.
• Family work: help to reunite safely with family when that is possible, or to find another safe arrangement.
• Aftercare: follow-up services after you leave.

Shelters usually need to contact a parent or guardian within a short time, as state law requires. If home is not safe, tell staff why. They work with child welfare when needed so you are not sent back into abuse.

Transitional living for ages 16 to 21

Transitional Living Programs give older teens and young adults a longer stay while they build the skills to live on their own. Youth must be 16 to under 22 when they enter. Federal rules allow stays of up to 540 days, or up to 635 days in exceptional circumstances, and a youth who is still under 18 at the end can stay until their 18th birthday. Congress has considered changing these ages, so confirm current limits with the program.

Housing may be a group home, a host home with a screened family, or a supervised apartment. Programs help with:

• Finishing high school or a GED, and planning for college or training
• Job search and keeping a job
• Budgeting, cooking, and renting skills
• Mental health and substance use counseling
• Saving money for a deposit when you move out

Our guide to government assistance for homeless people covers adult programs you can move into later.

Help for pregnant and parenting teens

Maternity Group Homes are transitional living programs for pregnant and parenting young people ages 16 to under 22 and their children. Along with housing, they teach parenting skills, child development, and health care basics. Young parents can also apply for WIC, which provides healthy food, nutrition help, and breastfeeding support for pregnant people, new mothers, and children under 5. Medicaid covers prenatal care and delivery for many young people with low income.

Your rights at school under McKinney-Vento

The McKinney-Vento Act protects students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate place to live. That includes staying in a shelter, a car, a motel, or couch-surfing with others because you lost your housing. An unaccompanied youth is a homeless student who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, under 42 U.S.C. 11434a.

Under 42 U.S.C. 11432, schools must:

• Enroll you right away, even without a parent, records, or proof of address.
• Let you stay in your school of origin when that is in your best interest, even if you move.
• Provide transportation to your school of origin.
• Give you a liaison, a staff member whose job is to help homeless students get services.

The liaison can also connect you with free school meals, school supplies, and local housing help. The National Center for Homeless Education has more on unaccompanied youth rights.

Independent status on the FAFSA

If you are an unaccompanied homeless youth, or unaccompanied, self-supporting, and at risk of homelessness, you can be treated as an independent student on the FAFSA. That means you do not need your parents’ information. Federal Student Aid explains how this works.

A determination can come from your school district liaison, the director of a youth shelter or HUD-funded homeless program, a TRIO or GEAR UP program, or the college financial aid office. Once a college makes this determination, you are generally presumed independent in later years at the same college unless your situation changes. Federal Pell Grants and other aid can then help pay for school and, in some cases, campus housing. See our guide on college grants for low-income families.

Housing vouchers for youth leaving foster care

Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers and the youth part of the Family Unification Program pay part of the rent on a private apartment. Under 42 U.S.C. 1437f(x), they serve youth who:

• Are at least 18 and not more than 24
• Have left foster care, or will leave within 90 days under a transition plan
• Are homeless or at risk of homelessness at age 16 or older

Help lasts up to 36 months. The law allows up to 24 more months for youth who take part in a Family Self-Sufficiency program or meet work or education conditions. You cannot apply on your own; the child welfare agency refers you to a housing agency that has these vouchers. Ask your caseworker or independent living worker early, ideally before you leave care.

Chafee services for former foster youth

Every state runs a John H. Chafee program for youth who are in or have left foster care. Under 42 U.S.C. 677, states serve youth who aged out until age 21, or until 23 in states that chose to extend services. States may spend part of these funds on room and board, such as help with rent or a deposit, for youth 18 and older.

Chafee also funds Education and Training Vouchers of up to $5,000 a year, or the cost of attendance if lower, for college or job training. States may allow youth to keep using them until age 26 while they make progress. Contact your state child welfare agency, which you can find through Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Youth coordinated entry and adult programs

Each community’s homeless system, called the Continuum of Care, must run a coordinated entry process under 24 CFR 578.7. Many areas have a separate youth access point or youth-friendly assessment. Dial 211 and ask where young people go for a housing assessment. Through it, youth 18 and older may be matched with rapid re-housing, youth host homes, or supportive housing.

Food, health care, and income support

Housing is easier to keep when food and health care are covered.

SNAP rules for young people depend on age and who you live with. Young people under 22 who live with a parent are usually counted in the parent’s household. If you live on your own, ask the SNAP office whether you can apply as your own household. Under 7 CFR 273.2, households with very little income and cash must get food benefits within 7 days. You can estimate benefits with our SNAP calculator.

Young people who were in foster care and enrolled in Medicaid when they turned 18 can qualify for Medicaid until age 26 under 42 U.S.C. 1396a. Ask your state Medicaid office about the former foster care group.

Can a 16-year-old get their own apartment?

Usually not on their own. In most states a person under 18 cannot sign a binding lease, so landlords rarely rent to minors. Some states allow legal emancipation, which lets a minor sign contracts, but the process goes through a court and the rules vary. For most teens under 18, a Basic Center shelter, a transitional living program, a host home, or staying with a safe relative is the realistic path. Legal aid offices can explain emancipation in your state.

If you are an adult helping a teen

A relative, coach, or friend’s parent who takes in a teen can help in practical ways:

• Ask the school liaison about a caregiver form so the teen can stay enrolled.
• Call the Safeline yourself for advice; it also serves families and caring adults.
• Ask your state about kinship caregiver help and child-only TANF.
• Contact child welfare if the teen left home because of abuse or neglect.

Steps to take this week

1. Call or text 1-800-786-2929 or dial 211 for a youth shelter.
2. Tell your school’s homeless liaison so you can keep going to school.
3. Ask about transitional living if you are 16 or older.
4. Apply for SNAP and Medicaid if you live on your own.
5. If you were in foster care, ask your caseworker about FYI vouchers and Chafee help.
6. If you are going to college, get a homeless youth determination for the FAFSA.

If you are a young parent, our guide to housing for single moms explains vouchers and family shelters.

Related guides

• Government assistance for homeless people
• Emergency cash assistance for college students
• Churches that help the homeless
• Emergency hotel voucher for tonight

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Program rules and ages can change and vary by state. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not a government agency or a youth shelter. If you are in danger, call 911.