New York, NY —

It's estimated that nearly 4,000 teenagers and young adults are considered homeless in New York City. That's according to a survey conducted by organizations that provide youth services. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

The city council commissioned the survey, conducted last summer, to determine the scope of the problem. More than 900, 16 to 24 year olds answered questions. According to the results, nearly 70 percent of homeless youth are black and Latino. And about the same amount were either in foster care, jail, prison, or the juvenile justice system at some point in their lives.

It's estimated that just over 40 percent spend the night in public spaces including trains, cars and abandoned buildings. During a hearing, Councilman Lewis Fidler and those conducting the survey acknowledged the numbers likely under represent the problem because only those receiving services through different youth programs were interviewed.

For WNYC, I'm Cindy Rodriguez