Quick Facts: Texas
Performance Breakdown
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Law & Policy: 58% of metrics met
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Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness: 50% of metrics met
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Preventing youth experiencing homelessness from coming into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems: 33% of metrics met
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Providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently: 88% of metrics met
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Addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness: 100% of metrics met
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Allowing youth experiencing homelessness to access critical supports and services: 67% of metrics met
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Systems: 72% of metrics met
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Environment: 6% of metrics met
State Score 2022: 52
State Ranking 2022: 28
2022 Score
2021 Score
52
59
Texas Highlights
Some areas where Texas has moved the needle relative to other states include providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently and addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness
Law & Policy
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The state allows youth in foster care to access extended foster care services to age 21 under certain circumstances and allows youth who have exited the foster care system after 18 to re-enter care before 20 years and 11 months of age.
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State law provides youth experiencing homelessness some contract rights.
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The state explicitly allows partial and alternative school credit accrual for homeless youth through regulations.
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The state allows shelters to take in homeless youth with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.
Systems
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There is a current state plan to end homelessness that includes a youth component.
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There is a state interagency council on homelessness.
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The state provides tuition waivers to foster youth.
Environment
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The state promotes safe and inclusive environments in juvenile justice programs by providing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Recommendations for Improvement
There is room for improvement throughout the metrics for the Lone Star State, with emphasis on the Law & Policy and Environment categories. Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness and protecting their rights and interests, including the rights and interests of LGBTQ youth, should be prioritized.
Law & Policy
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Allow unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage on their own.
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The state should explicitly allows homeless youth to use SNAP to buy hot restaurant or prepared meals.
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The state should not consider runaway youth as delinquent or a status offender.
Systems
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Expand the state plan to prevent and end homelessness to include strategies to address homelessness among LGBTQ youth.
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Create a state entity – such as an Office of Homeless Youth Services – that focuses solely on designing, implementing, and evaluating youth homelessness programs.
Environment
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The state should establish and maintain stipends for a community advisory board that informs youth homelessness policy (Youth Action Board).
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The state should require training about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, healthy sexual development or issues specific to LGBTQ+ youth for staff working in RHY Systems.
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The state should establish nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ youth in youth homelessness services.
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The state should ban conversion therapy for minors on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.