Couch hopping with informal hosts can benefit youth facing homelessness, but more support through policy change and investment is needed

Many young people facing homelessness seek accommodation through couch hopping and other forms of informal housing arrangements. In new research Mallory VanMeeter finds that informal hosts can play a positive role for those facing housing instability and looks at the financial and policy barriers preventing families from hosting youth in a way that is conducive to creating a positive, stable environment. They write that to create more beneficial hosting environments, policymakers need to include informal hosts in service planning, public benefits structures, and renter protections to confer legitimacy on this type of accommodation.