Small as an Elephant

Housing instability for youth is a significant issue in the US, where 4.2 million children and adolescents are living without a permanent home at any given time (“4 Million+ Young People Experience Homelessness Each Year.” Covenant House). Youths become unhoused for many reasons, including having a parent with a severe mental illness like Jack. Other possible reasons include discrimination, financial instability, parents who discriminate against their LGBTQ+ identities, a lack of affordable housing in their area, and a child having a mental illness. While the list of reasons why a child or adolescent might be unhoused is virtually infinite, the effects of living without a home are shared. Experiencing a lack of nutrition and sleep, social isolation, and uncertainty about shelter and safety puts youths in a constant state of alert and agitation, as Jack experiences. Without support, being unhoused can become a pattern that is difficult to escape. Youths can easily fall into negative situations such as substance use, involvement in gangs or crime, and missing school. Jack resorts to crime to stay alive, but doing so still puts him at risk and makes him feel guilty. In addition, Jack misses the beginning of school, which bothers him deeply.