Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are seven facts about New York City's homeless student population, indicating the various hurdles housing instability causes for young people.

• What are the ways that donors can help the homeless student population specifically? What are the main barriers for young people facing homelessness?

• Read about the state index on youth homelessness to see how states compare across the nation.

As 1.1 million New York City students head back to school next week, it is important to remember that 1 in 10 students experience homelessness every year, and as a result face unique educational challenges. Since 2010, over 220,000 students experienced housing instability while enrolled in New York City public schools. In fact, the number of homeless students increased 56% between the 2010–11 and 2016–17 school years. Here are seven things you need to know about NYC’s homeless students.

  1. Homelessness disproportionally affects young students. Half (54%) of all homeless students were in elementary school.
  2. Homeless students are more likely to experience disruptions to their education. These students were 3x as likely to transfer schools mid-year as their housed peers (21% vs. 7%) and more than 1.5x as likely to be chronically absent (36% vs. 21%).
  3. Many homeless students face language barriers. English Language Learners (ELLs) are overrepresented among the City’s homeless students.
  4. Homelessness is an ongoing experience. Many students experience multiple episodes of homelessness.
  5. Homelessness has a lasting effect on students. Not only did homeless students face recurring or extended episodes of homelessness, once they moved to permanent housing, they continued to experience chronic absenteeism rates comparable to their classmates who were still homeless (35% vs. 36%, respectively), even six years after moving into permanent housing.
  6. Disrupted learning keeps homeless students from graduating. Barely half of students who experienced homelessness during high school graduated on time (56%).
  7. Homeless students are at heightened risk for mental health issues. The chronic stress of housing instability can severely impact the mental health of homeless students.

Read the full article about homeless students in NYC at the Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness.