New Research Finds 104,000 NYC Public School Students Were Homeless Last Year

A New York Times article explores new data on homelessness among New York City public school students. The data reveal that 104,000 students in NYC experienced homelessness during the last school year and that the number of students in temporary housing grew by 3% during the prior year. The city continues to seek solutions to address student homelessness, yet the number of students who are homeless continues to grow quickly: in the past four months alone, the city has integrated more than 6,000 additional homeless students. Many students experiencing homelessness stay in shelters, double up with family members, or stay in cars, parks, or abandoned buildings. The impact of homelessness on education is severe. According to the article, “only 60 percent of homeless high school students living in shelters graduate in four years. Their high school drop-out rate is three times higher than that of students in stable housing.” As the article makes clear, it is critically important that education advocates address housing needs in order to improve educational outcomes. For this reason, many education advocates have joined the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign to urge policymakers to enact robust and equitable housing solutions. Read the New York Times article here.