Youth homelessness appears to rise sharply in Puerto Rico, ASSMCA study finds

A new ASSMCA study found that youth homelessness and housing instability are significantly more widespread on the island than previously documented.

By THE STAR STAFF

Homelessness among young people in Puerto Rico appears to be far more widespread than previously documented, with a new government count identifying 204 youths between the ages of 18 and 24 who are either homeless or living in unstable housing conditions.

 The first Count of Homeless Youth conducted in Puerto Rico, presented Sunday by Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA) Administrator Catherine Oliver Franco, found nearly four times as many youths in that age group as were identified in the general 2024 count, when only 55 were recorded.

 “Beyond systems, programs or public policies, we are talking about young people who want to study, work, develop themselves, start a family, pursue their goals and build a future. That is the purpose that should keep us working together,” the administrator said in written remarks.

 Conducted from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, 2026 under a grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the study found that 100 young people met the federal definition of homelessness and 104 lived in conditions of residential instability, including temporarily staying with relatives or friends or lacking a fixed place to sleep.

 The findings suggest that many young people have remained largely invisible in previous counts. Only one in 10 homeless youths was in a shelter, while most spent the night in abandoned structures, vehicles, streets, substandard housing or under bridges.

 Among the main causes of youth homelessness were family problems, cited by 53.3 percent of participants; economic problems, at 30.7 percent; unemployment, at 25.3 percent; problematic drug use, at 16 percent; and mental health conditions, at 9.3 percent.

 The report also found that nearly 28 percent of homeless youths show indicators of vulnerability related to mental health, substance use or physical disability. However, a significant portion do not receive treatment because they do not know where to obtain help or because they face difficulties accessing services.

 Among youths with unstable housing, 82 percent are temporarily staying with relatives or friends, 57 percent have no guarantee that they can remain where they live, 40 percent consider their housing unsafe and 38 percent said they do not have a fixed place to sleep every night.

 The official explained that the agency is advancing a prevention strategy based on coordination among government agencies, community organizations, academic institutions, the private sector and young people themselves to strengthen mental health and prevent homelessness.

 “Young people do not experience our systems in the way we organize them. For them, education, health, mental health, employment, housing, justice and social services are part of the same reality. That is precisely why we need responses that are also connected,” she said. 

She also highlighted the participation of young people with lived experience in the design of initiatives and said the findings will be used to strengthen service planning, improve interagency coordination and facilitate access to new federal funds.