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Understanding Young People’s Navigation of Housing Barriers Through a White Supremacy Lens

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the organizational and structural barriers young people face in seeking housing and to interpret those barriers through the lens of white supremacy culture. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 31 young people (ages 18–26) accessing a variety of homeless services, including a drop-in center, emergency shelter, and transitional housing apartments. White supremacy culture was used as an organizing framework for interpreting thematic findings. Participants described bureaucratic and systemic barriers to accessing and maintaining stable housing; lacking resources necessary to securing and maintaining housing; and rigid rules in community and living environments that created difficult in maintaining safe housing. Five tenets of white supremacy culture emerged as we applied the organizing framework to our findings: power hoarding, paternalism, worship of the written word, fear of open conflict, and right to comfort. Our findings reflect that organizations employing bureaucratic processes hold power to determine who can access housing, what is required of those young people, and how housing can be maintained. Yet, those holding the power at these decision points often do not reflect the identities of those benefiting from the services. Future research and critical analysis using a white supremacy framework or Critical Race Theory may allow for better understanding of barriers for young people experiencing homelessness.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the multiple REALYST.org community partners and young people who collaborated and participated in this study.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, 2148 S. High St., Denver, CO, 80208, USA

    Madi Boyett, Marisa Santarella, Tara Milligan, Omotola Williams, Kimberly Bender & Stephanie Chassman

  2. Colorado State University, 450 W. Pitkin St., Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA

    Jonah DeChants

  3. Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, 2180 Third Avenue, Office 449, New York, NY, 10035, USA

    Jama Shelton

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  1. Madi Boyett
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  2. Marisa Santarella
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  3. Tara Milligan
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Correspondence to Madi Boyett.

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Boyett, M., Santarella, M., Milligan, T. et al. Understanding Young People’s Navigation of Housing Barriers Through a White Supremacy Lens. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 40, 643–654 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-021-00804-6

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