Housing and Homelessness

More than 1.5 million children enrolled in public schools experienced homelessness during the 2017-18 school year. Nearly 1 in 3 children are housing insecure and live on the edge of homelessness. A sudden change in a family’s economic stability such as job loss or a medical emergency can leave a family without a stable place to live.

Housing Insecurity and Homelessness Impact on Physical and Mental Health

Housing insecurity and homelessness impact a child’s physical and mental health and their ability to learn:

Homeless children have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems
Homeless children are more likely to suffer from hunger, poor physical and emotional health
They are less likely to attend school, and more likely to fall behind in class
While the number of homeless children in America is estimated at 1.6 million, many estimates suggest the number could be far higher, as homeless statistics are often under-reported at the city, county and state levels
Children experiencing homelessness face four times as many respiratory infections, twice as many ear infections and are four times more likely go have asthma