The number of New York City students experiencing homelessness in the last school year grew to more than 146,000, according to a new analysis.
Chalkbeat New York reports that the number means that roughly one in eight students in the nation’s largest public school system were living in temporary housing during the 2023-24 school year. That is a record high, according to a report from Advocates for Children, which has been tracking the number for more than a decade.
Students experiencing homelessness can face significant challenges at school. Just showing up can be a hurdle: Students in shelters are disproportionately affected by transportation issues; 40% of students attend school in a different borough from their shelter placement, according to Jennifer Pringle, director of the Learners in Temporary Housing Project at Advocates for Children.
Schools need additional staff and resources to adequately support students who are experiencing homelessness, from academic intervention and tutoring, to family outreach and engagement, to partnering with community organizations to provide wraparound support at school, Pringle said.
Education Department spokesperson Chyann Tull said the city remained committed to supporting students in temporary housing through field and enrollment support, transportation services, counseling, immunization assistance, and academic support.
Among the students living in temporary housing, 54% were doubled up, or temporarily sharing the housing of others, while 41% spent time in the city’s shelters. The number of students experiencing homelessness rose in every area across the five boroughs.
Students experiencing homelessness were especially concentrated in upper Manhattan, southwest Bronx, and parts of northeast and central Brooklyn, according to Advocate for Children’s analysis.
Advocates have called for further support for students living in temporary housing, particularly as the state reworks its nearly two-decades-old school funding formula.
