Date of Award

5-10-2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Sociology

First Advisor

Eric Wright

Second Advisor

Erin Ruel

Third Advisor

Daniel Pasciuti

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has made ending youth homelessness a central focus, including providing numerous resources to service providers and awarding millions of dollars in grants to programs specifically catering to youth (HUD 2019b). Using a social network framework, this research uses data from a sample of homeless youth to explore how networks of providers influence how youth interact with housing, health care, and education systems. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions show that particular types of professional support ties can provide youth with alternatives to sleeping unsheltered as well as a place to go other than the ER for health services. However, professional support ties reduce the odds that youth are enrolled in school. This study reveals important insights into the broader processes of the role of integration into the service system and the varied and complex relationships between youth and service providers.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/14278455

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