Where the homeless children and youth come from: A study of the residential origins of the homeless in Miami-Dade County, Florida

This study investigates where homeless children and youth come from and identifies factors associated with the spatial distribution of the residential origins of homeless children and youth. Data was obtained through a point-in-time homelessness survey in Miami-Dade County, Florida in January 2005. The study identified 545 homeless children and youth in 219 homeless families whose residential origins in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Their residential origins are not heavily concentrated in poor neighborhoods, but are also located in less poor neighborhoods.The study reveals that domestic violence that is not confined strictly to neighborhoods of high poverty is the factor that explains the spatial distribution of the residential origins of homeless children and youth. This study also reveals that areas characterized by deprivation are strongly and positively significant in producing more homeless children and youth.