When we think of homelessness, we often picture people sleeping outside or in shelters. In reality, homelessness can look very different, or be difficult to identify at all, especially for families, children, and youth. With the 2026 to 2027 school year officially underway, we are bringing special attention to the growing issue of student homelessness in the US and how housing stability greatly impacts academic achievement and access to higher education. Student homelessness tends to be severely underestimated in national datasets like the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, because students experiencing homelessness are more likely to live in spaces that are not easily counted. Many students and their families opt to stay with people temporarily (couch surfing, doubling up), in motels, or other covert places like cars. The National Center for Homelessness Education (NCHE) found that an overwhelming majority of students opted to stay in these hidden spaces over shelters, with 75 percent of all unhoused students living in doubled-up situations and 9 percent living in motels. 

Instead, public schools and early childhood programs are often the first point of contact for students experiencing homelessness. Under the Mckinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, the Department of Education must collect student homelessness data from schools and report the findings to Congress. However, this process often takes years due to delayed reporting, bureaucratic inefficiency, and overburdened school systems. Even with these barriers to data collection, the disparity between the PIT Count and public school numbers is staggering. From school years 2004 to 2005 (SY 2004-2005) and SY 2023-2024, the PIT Count shows an 18.7 percent decrease in family homelessness, while public school data reveals a 136.2 percent increase in family homelessness during this time period. This massive discrepancy is a reminder that reported decreases in homelessness may sometimes reflect a failure to identify people experiencing homelessness rather than true progress. 

National Student Homelessness

Over the last two decades, student homelessness in the US has skyrocketed, increasing by an average of 5 percent per year since SY 2004-2005. While this increase is likely partially attributed to the improved identification and data collection by schools, the housing affordability crisis and economic inequality remain primary drivers of student homelessness. According to the most recent data, more than 1.5 million public school students across the nation were experiencing homelessness in SY 2023-2024. Similar to family homelessness, trends in student homelessness are unique and can diverge from patterns in single-adult homelessness. Research shows that children with disabilities and English language learners were disproportionately represented, comprising 20 percent and 22 percent of the homeless student population respectively. Large racial disparities also exist: Hispanic students make up 40 percent of all students experiencing homelessness, compared to 26 percent Black students and 25 percent white students. 

Housing stability is foundational for educational and socioemotional development. Studies reveal that eviction filings can decrease school attendance for up to two years after the initial filing. Frequent moves are associated with chronic absenteeism and significant disruption to learning. In SY 2023-2024, public schools reported that 48 percent of students experiencing homelessness were chronically absent, compared to 26 percent of all other students. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, is directly correlated to lower academic achievement and higher drop-out rates. Without a stable place to call home and a struggle for daily survival, students cannot reach their full academic potential. Stable housing offers more than shelter, it is a door to opportunity and a facilitator of long-term transformation. 

Supporting Our Students: Youth Enrichment Program

In SY 2022-2023, DC had the highest rates of student homelessness in the nation, with 7,192 children or almost 8 percent of all students experiencing homelessness in the District. While national data indicates that DC is no longer the leader in student homelessness, the number of students experiencing homelessness increased to 9,104 in SY 2024-2025. At Housing Up, we see the real impacts that housing instability can have on reading comprehension, test performance, grade retention, socioemotional development, and so much more. Our youth enrichment program, which includes youth tutoring, is vital to providing the resources needed to ensure educational success and a future that includes higher education and economic independence. Join us, Wednesday, September 23, at 6 PM for Housing Up’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Living in the City, to hear about the difference our youth enrichment program made in the lives of two first-generation college students living in our affordable housing community. Click the button below to purchase tickets to Living in the City 2026, and make sure to check out our youth tutoring volunteer opportunities for the new school year. 

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