This survey works to understand how D.C.’s young people are experiencing housing insecurity, including identifying trends that disproportionately impact this age group—such as couch surfing—compared to older demographics. The percentage of Black youth experiencing housing instability in D.C. is noticeably higher than the 68 percent of all housing insecure residents who identify as Black, non-Hispanic. ***Compared to 2024, youth housing insecurity in D.C. went down by about 40 percent in 2025, according to last year’s Youth Count. However, periods of housing insecurity are lasting longer with most counted youth experiencing unstable housing or homelessness for more than six months at a time. “Affordability, just the simple cost of housing, can be incredibly difficult,” Liz Jaramillo, SMYAL’s director of youth housing, tells City Paper.