50 State Counts, One Reality

How many homeless students live in my state? Homelessness is a national experience, but a local issue. Across the country, the number of homeless students nearly doubled over the last decade. But the numbers vary state by state. For example, while only two states (LA and MS) and Puerto Rico saw decreases in the number…

Read More

Food Insecurity & NYC’s Homeless Children

How does food insecurity impact children experiencing homelessness in my neighborhood? Over 105,000 or one in ten students in NYC public schools is homeless. In some school districts, as many as one in five students experiences homelessness. Hunger and the high cost of food are a devastating reality experienced by NYC’s homeless children and their…

Read More

Student Homelessness & Food Deserts

Do homelessness and poor nutrition affect children in my community? Poor nutrition has a harmful effect on the physical and cognitive development of children.  Unfortunately, it is too often a reality for homeless children.  No parent should have to worry about their children going hungry nor be unable to provide them with a diet that…

Read More

Seeking Stability: What Applying for Shelter Truly Means for New York City’s Homeless Families

By July 2019, the most recent month of available data, there were over 11,800 families with over 23,000 children sleeping in New York City shelters—a 49% increase since 2011. Every month, over 2,000 families apply for shelter from across New York City, yet only around 40% of them are deemed eligible for shelter. For many…

Read More

Addressing Barriers to Learning

Overview The 105,000 students in New York City Public Schools presently experiencing homelessness face many challenges—including housing and family instability, stress, depression, hunger, asthma, and lack of sleep—that can negatively impact their education. They also face additional barriers to learning that often place them at a disadvantage compared to their housed classmates. For these students,…

Read More