Las Vegas, Nevada has the highest rate of unaccompanied homeless youth rates in the nation and an unaccompanied homeless youth population that exceeds that of New York City’s, according to most recent data from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.Shannon West is one of few youth shelters in the Las Vegas valley that provides residentail housing for unaccompanied homeless youth. While battling homelessness at a young age, these teens and young adults are also facing other complex battles in conjcution with struggles that come with adolescents. They have crushes. They are trying to understand their sexuality, their gender identity. They try to find words of advice for their friends. They are survivors of assault. They are trying to find their passions. They have chores. They find their first job. They get in fights with their roommates. They are battling drug addiction. These are frames of life from Shannon West.
Chris, left, shares his headphones with another resident.
Residents gather for their evening meeting.
Residents do their evening chores on Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Las Vegas.
A resident shares lyrics to a song he has written.
Rob searches though piles of donations for an outfit for his first job interview since becoming homeless.
Tim, center, receives a hug during a high school graduation celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Las Vegas. Tim was one of the residents that graduated high school that spring.
Tim walks up to his room after after a graduation celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Rob rides the bus from Shannon West to Clark County Social Services for his "Homelessness Assessment." Rob has been homeless for multiple months. The assessment will determine if he is eligible to stay at the shelter.
Residents take turn riding a bike, and giving each other rides.
Tiffany, left, sits on a washing machine across from Sam as they wait for their laundry to be done on Tuesday, July 12, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Residents play basketball at the court at Shannon West after finishing their nightly chores and mandatory night group session on Thursday, July 14, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Tiffany does dishes in the kitchen after a meal at Shannon West on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, in Las Vegas.
With pictures of herself on the wall behind her Tiffany scrolls through her phone. Tiffany aspires to be a model.
Tim puts makeup on his her room at Shannon West Homeless Youth Center prior to the center's celebration for recent high school graduates, Wells being one of them, on Saturday, June 18, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Craig, a resident at Shannon West, gets a haircut on his first day back on Wednesday, July 27, 2016, in Las Vegas. He says that he stayed at the shelter for a while, he has stayed there off and on, but this was his first day back to stay in an over a year.
Tiffany sweeps ousted her room that she shares with another resident at Shannon West on Tuesday, July 12, 2016, in Las Vegas.