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- Sarah Minton, Linda Giannarelli, Ilham Dehry, and Laura Wheaton discuss research on how safety net programs can more effectively reach eligible young adults.
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Periods of instability can have lasting consequences for young adults, who are in a critical development stage. During these periods, assistance from safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and public and subsidized housing can alleviate short-term hardships and better position young adults for long-term health and economic well-being.
Yet our analysis, using 2023 data, shows many eligible young adults (ages 18 through 24) do not receive benefits. Nationally, about 400,000 eligible young adults do not receive TANF benefits, 1.2 million eligible young-adult-headed households do not receive housing assistance, and 3.2 million eligible young adults do not receive SNAP benefits.
These gaps may worsen in the coming years as states respond to the federal reductions in SNAP and Medicaid funding enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. To better understand the scale of existing gaps in benefit access before these changes are implemented, we examined eligibility and participation in three key safety net programs—SNAP, TANF, and public and subsidized housing.
How Can Key Safety Net Programs Support Young Adults?
Many young adults face times of economic hardship, during which they could benefit from safety net supports:
- In the most recent Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, more than a quarter of young adults reported experiencing food insecurity in the preceding 12 months, which can have lasting adverse health and behavioral outcomes.
- In 2024, 18 percent of young adults were living in poverty, which can have lasting effects, such as a lower likelihood of students from high poverty areas completing college.
- In a given year, 1 in 10 young adults ages 18 through 25 experience homelessness, and young adults who experience housing insecurity are more likely to experience long-term material hardship and increased depressive symptoms.
Food assistance, cash aid, and housing assistance provided through safety net programs can give these young adults more stability, setting them up for success in work and school and as they transition into adulthood.
Research shows that young adults may find it particularly challenging to access benefits, but little is known about how many eligible young adults don’t receive benefits. Using Urban’s Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) model, we identified three key takeaways that illustrate the scope of the issue.
Read the full article about safety net programs failing to reach young adults by Sarah Minton, Linda Giannarelli, Ilham Dehry, and Laura Wheaton at Urban Institute.