U.S. Schools in Crisis as Student Homelessness Rises

While some parents are worried about their kids not making top grades or starting on the varsity sports team, other parents in the U.S. are dealing with far more pressing issues when it comes to their children's education. A growing crisis in this country is impacting over 1 million students, affecting their ability to learn and progress through the school system. What is this issue? Read on for all of the details.

Number of Homeless Students Skyrocketing

The number of American students dealing with unstable housing has increased dramatically in recent years, putting a strain on the education system and hurting the nation's most vulnerable populations. The trend has been on the upswing over the last few decades, becoming even more prolific in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the National Center for Homeless Education, the U.S. is home to nearly 1.4 million homeless students. This number is a 104% increase in homelessness in this age group between 2005 and 2023. Experts also warn that this number is likely severely undercounted. The challenges of keeping track of students without a stable address compound the difficulties in having an accurate representation of the problem.

The issue is not limited to the country's largest urban areas. Suburban and rural communities have also seen a significant jump in the rates of student homelessness over the last year.

It is not unusual for homeless students to bounce around between schools. Many do not tell school administrators or friends about their housing situation because they are embarrassed. The true scope of the problem is also difficult to identify because a great majority of the homeless students are sharing housing with other families, crammed into small apartments without any space.

School administrators have often said that it is difficult to identify whether a student is having housing issues. However, identification of the insecure students is the first step in getting them help.

The federal government's data backs up other figures from non-profit agencies. Last year's annual homelessness survey out of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that 771,480 people were living on the streets or in public shelters on one single night. The HUD data found that the largest increase in homelessness came in children younger than age 18.

HUD points to a number of factors for the increase. These include a lack of affordable housing, stagnating wages paired with rising inflation rates, and the end of several public assistance programs rolled out during the pandemic.

Ripple Effects of Student Homelessness

The impacts of student homelessness last well beyond the school years. For instance, kids who do not have a high school diploma or a GED certification are far more likely to experience homelessness as a young adult. The average high school graduation rate for homeless students during the 2022 - 2023 school year was jsut 68%, almost 19% lower than the rest of American students.

In addition to a lack of a stable roof over their heads, homeless students often grapple with the lack of reliable transportation to school. A higher frequency of school changes makes it more difficult to form connections with peers and teachers. Research also indicates that homeless students see higher rates of discipline when compared to their housed peers.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 mandates that the federal government allocate money to every U.S. state to identify and assist homeless students with stable housing, transportation, and other various needs. However, education experts say that the funding does not do enough to combat the problem.

For example, an analysis by the Learning Policy Institute of McKinney-Vento allocations indicated that this funding provided only $79 on average for every homeless student. The money that was earmarked for use during the pandemic has now run out, limiting the ability of the program to provide for those in need. Lastly, the cuts to the U.S. Department of Education instituted by the Trump administration will cut this funding even further.

Because the HUD definition of homelessness does not encompass students who are doubled up in housing units, these students are not eligible to receive funding. As a result, a great deal of the burden is now falling to individual states, school districts, and local nonprofits and volunteer agencies.

Several school districts are taking the problem into their own hands, building local shelters for their students. Some states are rolling out pilot programs designed to incentivize homeless students who are more invested in their own education. As with many aid programs that were once housed at the federal level, the burden of responsibility is now falling to the states. While the more affluent states can absorb these added responsibilities, other areas will continue to struggle without the backing of the federal government.

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