They hide in plain view, yet many of us don’t acknowledge their existence: homeless youth. On any given night, hundreds of teens — many turned away by their parents or guardians because they came out of the closet — sleep on Atlanta’s streets and alleys and bunk in abandoned buildings. Today’s guest writers explore a growing problem in the region and solicit your help to serve this sector of our community.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com