Resolution raising awareness of youth homelessness referred out of committee
Philadelphia House Delegation October 29, 2025 | 1:31 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 –A House resolution raising awareness of youth homelessness in Pennsylvania, introduced by state Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, and Rep. Regina H. Curry, D-Phila., was referred out of the House Children & Youth Committee today, 25-1.
House Resolution 337 would designate Nov. 17 through Nov. 21, 2025, as “Pennsylvania Education for Youth Experiencing Homelessness Awareness Week,” and Nov. 21, 2025, as “Red Shirt Day” in Pennsylvania.
According to Smith-Wade-El and Curry, the population of homeless youth has exploded in the past 10 years from just over 19,000 students in Pennsylvania schools to exceed 50,000 today. Much of this increase is due to limited resources available to youth, including lack of access to support services, difficulty obtaining identification and family instability.
As many shelters will not accept a child under 18 years of age without the presence of a parent or guardian, there is an urgent need for additional resources to help homeless students attend school and succeed, the representatives said.
“We’ve introduced this resolution to raise awareness of the growing number of homeless youth in PA and the lack of resources that are targeted toward their needs,” Smith-Wade-El said. “The federal budget cuts to critical programs serving homeless youth and their families, and the ongoing federal budget impasse that is stifling funding for essential programs like SNAP, have put our most vulnerable population in an even more dangerous position.
“We are encouraging schools, communities and individuals across our great commonwealth to plan for and support assistance programs for youth experiencing homelessness as they work to complete their education.”
“We’re seeing more and more young people pushed into homelessness through circumstances far beyond their control,” Curry said. “When you’re a child, your safety and stability depend on others and when that support isn’t there, options quickly disappear. No one should have to face that kind of uncertainty, especially at such a young age.
“This crisis is deepening, and ongoing challenges like the federal shutdown and Pennsylvania’s unfinished budget only add to the strain on vulnerable families. That’s why this resolution matters. It’s a call to awareness and a call to action. Every young person in Pennsylvania deserves stability, opportunity and a safe place to call home. Student homelessness ultimately turns into adult homelessness.”
The representatives also encourage Pennsylvanians to participate in “Red Shirt Day,” Friday, Nov. 21 to demonstrate statewide solidarity with children experiencing homelessness.
The resolution now heads to the House chamber for a vote.