Homelessness and Education in the USA

This paper discusses the issue of homelessness and education in the USA. In particular, it focuses on how homeless students face significant obstacles to accessing education and overcoming educational disparities. It also examines how federal initiatives are attempting to address these issues.

Homelessness is an increasingly pervasive problem across the US, with over half a million people living without a permanent home in 2019 according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This figure includes both youth-specific homelessness and adult homelessness, but further research has indicated that children experience higher rates of displacement than adults due to parental factors such as job loss or family disruption. As homeless families often lack access to stable housing, they frequently must rely on temporary shelter arrangements which can limit their ability to focus on their children's academic performance.

These challenges are further compounded by the fact that homeless students often lack access to education resources necessary for success in school. This is because they typically experience high levels of mobility, which can lead to frequent changes in school environments and cause gaps in their educational progress. Additionally, homeless students may struggle to keep up with their peers due to language barriers, health issues, emotional trauma, or limited financial support from family members. As a result of these factors, the Educational Advisory Board estimates that only 13% of homeless students receive a high school diploma compared to 78% of non-homeless students.

At present, federal initiatives such as The McKinney-Vento Act and Title I Funding provide assistance for homeless youth by guaranteeing them a free, appropriate public education and providing access to additional resources such as transportation and meals. Additionally, the Every Student Succeeds Act includes language focused on improving educational outcomes for homeless children by ensuring they attend school regularly and strengthening support systems to address their unique needs. Though these initiatives have made progress in addressing disparities among homeless students, much work still needs to be done in order to ensure that all youth have access to an equal quality of education regardless of their housing status.