Introduction to Homelessness in New York City Public Schools
The number of homeless children attending New York City public schools increased again in 2024-2025—rising for the fifth consecutive school year, and surpassing 150,000 for the first time. Some school districts had a deeper crisis than others.
The Crisis in Numbers
The latest count, obtained from the state’s education department and released by the nonprofit Advocates for Children (AFC), tallied more than 154,000 students experiencing some form of homelessness in city schools, a new record. “There are now more students who are homeless in [New York City] than the entire Dallas public school system,” Jennifer Pringle, director of AFC’s Learners in Temporary Housing Project, said in a statement accompanying the new data. The total number of students experiencing homelessness nearly doubled from 11 years ago. It dipped slightly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when eviction protections and other relief programs were in effect.
Forms of Homelessness
In all, one in seven public school students were homeless during the 2024-2025 school year, a higher proportion than any previous year on record. The most common form of homelessness students experienced was “doubling up,” where families have an unplanned stay in a home with another family or friends. A record-high 65,000 stayed in city shelters. Some school districts had a deeper crisis than others. In school districts in Northeast Brooklyn, the Northwest Bronx, and Upper Manhattan, over one in five students experienced homelessness last year.
Impact on Education
Being unhoused poses significant hurdles to education, AFC says, pointing to its analysis of data from the 2023-2024 school year which found students experiencing homelessness were more likely to drop out than their permanently-housed peers. They also had lower state test scores, and two out of three students in shelter were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least one out of every 10 school days. “This year alone, we’ve worked with families whose children already missed an entire month of school because of the lack of coordination between the shelter and school systems,” Pringle said in a statement.
Calls for Policy Changes
AFC and other family homelessness advocates are calling for the city’s next mayor—who will take office in January following next month’s election—to make a number of policy changes to tackle the crisis. That includes increasing access to early childhood education programs, ensuring families are placed in shelters near their children’s schools, and addressing delays and inefficiencies with the city’s school bus network. Christine Quinn, the former City Council speaker who now runs Win (Women in Need), a family shelter provider, called the uptick in student homelessness “a moral failure and a stark indictment on our city.”
Recommendations for the Next Mayor
Win has released its own set of recommendations for the next mayor, which calls for expanding and streamlining CityFHEPS—the city’s main rental assistance program—and building more apartments set aside for the lowest income households. The group wants the city to hire more shelter-based community coordinators, who help families navigate the school system, and to increase the number of school social workers that counsel kids in shelter. “We know that homeless students face an uphill climb, from battling chronic absenteeism to struggling to meet the benchmarks their housed peers routinely meet,” Quinn said in a statement Monday. “As our city prepares to welcome a new mayor, we have a ripe opportunity to bring new attention to this crisis and to finally end the family homelessness epidemic.”
Conclusion
The rise in homelessness among New York City public school students is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention and action from the city’s next mayor. With the number of homeless students surpassing 150,000, it is essential to implement policy changes that address the root causes of homelessness and provide support to families in need. By increasing access to early childhood education programs, improving the school bus network, and expanding rental assistance programs, the city can work towards reducing the number of homeless students and providing them with a better chance at success.
FAQs
Q: What is the current number of homeless students in New York City public schools?
A: The current number of homeless students in New York City public schools is over 154,000, according to the latest count from the state’s education department.
Q: What is the most common form of homelessness experienced by students?
A: The most common form of homelessness experienced by students is “doubling up,” where families have an unplanned stay in a home with another family or friends.
Q: How does homelessness affect a student’s education?
A: Homelessness poses significant hurdles to education, including lower state test scores, chronic absenteeism, and a higher likelihood of dropping out.
Q: What are some recommendations for the next mayor to address the crisis of homelessness among students?
A: Recommendations include increasing access to early childhood education programs, ensuring families are placed in shelters near their children’s schools, and addressing delays and inefficiencies with the city’s school bus network.
Q: How can the city work towards reducing the number of homeless students?
A: The city can work towards reducing the number of homeless students by implementing policy changes that address the root causes of homelessness, such as expanding rental assistance programs and building more apartments set aside for low-income households.
