Homeless Youth: Patterns of Belief

Public policies, as Edelman (1977) has pointed out ‘rest on the beliefs and perceptions of those who help to make them’. Policy on youth homelessness is no exception. A full understanding of youth homelessness. it is argued, requires an understanding of the belief systems of those who define the problem and who shape policy. This paper reports the results of a study of the perceptions of policy makers and the providers of services to youth.