Runaway and Homeless Youth Act: Policy Analysis and Reauthorization
This paper examines the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (PL 110-378), tracing its origins in the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and its subsequent amendments. It analyzes the proposed reauthorization — the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act — which sought $165 million in federal funding to sustain shelter, outreach, and transitional living programs for youth under age 23 who are homeless or have run away. The paper discusses the Act's goals, values, and financial effects; identifies key political stakeholders; and situates the legislation within a social justice framework. It also addresses the political impasse created by the inclusion of LGBT youth protections in Senator Leahy's reauthorization amendment, which led Republicans to reject the proposal, threatening funding for thousands of vulnerable young people.
- Introduction: Overview of the Act and reauthorization debate
- Proposed Legislation and Program Components: Legislative history and three core program components
- Goals, Values, and Financial Effects: Program goals, implied values, and federal funding request
- Who Is Affected: Demographics, statistics, and at-risk youth populations
- Key Players and Political Dynamics: Leahy's sponsorship and Republican opposition to LGBT clause
- Social Justice Dimensions: Equity, inclusion, and rights framework for homeless youth
- Conclusion: Stakes of reauthorization failure and call for support
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What makes this paper effective
- Provides a clear legislative history, linking the 2008 Act back to its 1974 origins and tracing amendments through 2016, giving the reader useful context for evaluating the reauthorization debate.
- Integrates concrete statistics — such as the 1.68 million homeless or runaway youth and the 5,000 youths turned away from Transitional Living Programs in 2014 — to ground policy arguments in measurable need.
- Balances descriptive policy analysis with a normative social justice argument, clearly distinguishing program mechanics from the values underlying the legislation.
- Includes a reflective "Questions for Further Thought" section that acknowledges political trade-offs honestly, demonstrating critical engagement rather than pure advocacy.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper employs policy analysis as its core method: it identifies the legislation's goals and values, evaluates its financial effects, maps key stakeholders, and situates the proposal within a broader social justice framework. This structured approach — moving from legislative history to program components to political dynamics — is a strong model for undergraduate policy writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction establishing the Act's scope and the reauthorization debate, then proceeds through legislative background, program goals, financial implications, affected populations, key political actors, and social justice framing before concluding with a policy recommendation. A brief reflective section raises a pragmatic counterargument about the LGBT provisions, adding analytical nuance. The conclusion synthesizes the stakes and reaffirms the case for reauthorization.
Introduction
The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act — also known as the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (PL 110-378) — is federal legislation passed in 2008 that authorized the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, described as "the largest targeted federal program that provides assistance to youth under age 23 who are homeless or have run away" (p. 1). In 2015, the legislation was introduced into the Senate for reauthorization. The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act is the present form of the Act, and it seeks to modify the Basic Center Grant Program — a service providing short-term emergency shelter and family reunification to runaway and/or homeless youth. This paper discusses the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and argues that it is a policy supporting social justice for young persons facing homelessness, and that reauthorization should be granted.
Proposed Legislation and Program Components
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act was passed in 2008 and was established by the Runaway Youth Act as Title III of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA; P.L. 93-415). Since that time it has been amended on several occasions, and millions of dollars in allocated funds have been reauthorized for several fiscal years. In recent years, it was further amended by the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act (RHYA, 2014). Today, the program has three core components: the Basic Center Program (BCP), which provides short-term assistance to youths including up to 30 days of shelter; the Transitional Living Program (TLP), which provides housing; and the Street Outreach Program (SOP), which assists young persons living on the streets (S.262 — 114th Congress, 2016).
References
Cosponsors: S.262 — 114th Congress. (2016). Congress.gov. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/262/cosponsors
Dunn, M., & Krehely, J. (2012). Runaway and Homeless Youth Act should include gay and transgender youth. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/05/pdf/lgbt_rhya.pdf
Federal Programs. (2015). Youth.gov. Retrieved from http://youth.gov/youth-topics/runaway-and-homeless-youth/federal-programs
Leahy, P. (2015a). Ending homelessness among youth. Leahy.senate.gov. Retrieved from https://www.leahy.senate.gov/issues/ending-homelessness-among-youth-and-victims-of-domestic-violence
Leahy, P. (2015b). Ranking member. Leahy.senate.gov. Retrieved from https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/ranking-member-senate-judiciary-committee-on-senate-republicans-vote-against-legislation-to-protect-runaway-and-homeless-youth-
National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2016). FY 2016 appropriations. Retrieved from
RHYA. (2014). Digital Library. Retrieved from https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491622/m1/1/high_res_d/R43766_2014Oct23.pdf
S.262 — 114th Congress. (2016). To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Congress.gov. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/262/text
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