A homeless man sits in Chelsea.
\nPhoto by Dean Moses
\nMore than 154,000 NYC public school students were homeless last year, according to a report published on Monday by the Advocates for Children of New York (AFC). That number is nearly one in every seven students enrolled in the nation\u2019s largest public school system.<\/p>\n
The shocking statistic made the 2024-2025 school year the 10th consecutive year in which more than 100,000 students did not have a permanent place to call home. It was also the first academic year in which the total number of kids in temporary housing exceeded 150,000. The report, based on data from the NYS Education Department, comes at a time when NYC families are struggling to afford basic needs, including shelter and food. Families even struggled to purchase school supplies last month, marked by countless backpack and supply giveaways throughout the city.<\/p>\n
According to the new report, nearly 65,000 homeless children spent time living in city shelters last year. More than 82,000 were \u201cdoubled up,\u201d or temporarily shared housing with others. The overall rate increased from the previous school year and was highest in Bronx schools, followed by those in Manhattan. At the community school district level, more than one in five students was identified as homeless at schools in East Harlem (District 4), Highbridge and Grand Concourse (District 9), Brownsville (District 23), and Bushwick (District 32) during the 2024\u201325 school year.<\/p>\n
Researchers who did the study said that when students are homeless or live in shelters, they face \u201ctremendous obstacles\u201d to their academic success. Studies have shown that absenteeism increases, grades go down and the likelihood of high-school graduation rates decrease. \u201cBased on data for the 2023-2024 school year and educational outcome, one in eight students in shelter dropped out of high school,\u201d Jennifer Pringle, who directs AFC\u2019s work with students in temporary housing, said. \u201cThis is three times the drop-out rate of their permanently housed peers.\u201d She added that their four-year graduation rate was 62% compared to 85% for permanently housed students. Homeless children face persistent challenges in trying to overcome educational barriers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, 40% of families in shelter are placed in a different borough from where the children go to school,\u201d Pringle explained. \u201cNot a different neighborhood, not a different community school district \u2014 a different borough.\u201d This can lead to significant challenges in accessing education, including transportation issues and difficulties in maintaining consistency in their academic environment.<\/p>\n
Following the comprehensive report, advocates called on the city government to do more to help families struggling with homelessness. Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win, which provides housing and services for homeless families, called the rising number of homeless students a \u201cmoral failure and a stark indictment\u201d on the city. \u201cWe know that homeless students face an uphill climb, from battling chronic absenteeism to struggling to meet the benchmarks their housed peers routinely meet,\u201d she said. A new mayoral administration could bring more opportunities to address the issue, advocates said. Maria Odom, executive director of AFC, even said the city is \u201ccurrently failing students\u201d who live in shelters.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnsuring students who are homeless receive the support they need to be successful in school must be a top priority for the next mayor, who must lead a citywide, cross-agency effort to break down bureaucratic silos, reverse these alarming trends, and ensure students experiencing homelessness can get to school every day and receive the educational support they need to succeed,\u201d she said. Quinn called for strong action from City Hall. \u201cAs 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,\u201d she said. \u201cI urge our leaders in City Hall to embrace bold, new solutions to get more families into permanent homes and to end this crisis once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The issue of homelessness among NYC public school students is a pressing concern that requires immediate attention and action from city leaders. With over 154,000 students experiencing homelessness, it is crucial that the city develops and implements effective strategies to provide these students with the support they need to succeed academically. By addressing the root causes of homelessness and providing adequate resources and services, the city can help ensure that all students, regardless of their housing situation, have the opportunity to thrive.<\/p>\n
A: More than 154,000 NYC public school students were homeless last year.<\/p>\n
A: Nearly one in every seven students enrolled in the nation\u2019s largest public school system is homeless.<\/p>\n
A: Homeless students face challenges such as absenteeism, lower grades, and decreased likelihood of high-school graduation. They also face difficulties in accessing education due to transportation issues and placement in different boroughs from their schools.<\/p>\n
A: Advocates are calling on the city government to do more to help families struggling with homelessness, including providing housing and services for homeless families and implementing policies to support students experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n
A: The city can provide additional resources and services, such as transportation assistance, tutoring, and counseling, to help homeless students succeed academically. The city can also work to address the root causes of homelessness and provide permanent housing solutions for families.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Homelessness in NYC Schools A homeless man sits in Chelsea. Photo by Dean Moses More than 154,000 NYC public school students were homeless last year, according to a report published on Monday by the Advocates for Children of New York (AFC). That number is nearly one in every seven students enrolled in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":24341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24339","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/DSC08034-copy-2.jpg?quality=51&w=1200&p=q&w=1200&resize=1200,904&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24339"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24342,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24339\/revisions\/24342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}