Children’s Defense Fund Releases Report on Housing’s Impacts on Children

Children’s Defense Fund released a report, “The State of America’s Children,” that identifies housing and homelessness as key issues impacting child poverty. The report reveals that 1.1 million students experienced homelessness during the 2020-2021 school year, approximately 75% of whom were Black or Brown. The report also uncovers disproportionate impacts on students who are English learners and students with disabilities and shows that students experiencing homelessness are vulnerable to altered cognitive and physical development. More generally, the authors establish connections between the lack of affordable housing, discrimination in accessing housing, and income inequalities and make the case that these three factors combine to bring about the housing insecurity faced by many families with children. The authors argue that policymakers should address this urgent problem by adopting solutions that advance racial equity, income equality, and greater access to housing resources. Read the report here.