One in 8 New York City students were homeless during the 2023-24 school year, according to a report from Advocates for Children of New York (AFC).
More than 146,000 students in the city lacked a reliable home at some point during the academic year, said the group, which compiled data from the New York State Education Department.
The record was a big increase from the year before: 23 percent.
“It is unconscionable that, year after year, tens of thousands of students in this City don’t have a permanent home,” said Jennifer Pringle, director of AFC’s Learners in Temporary Housing Project. “While the City works to help families find permanent housing, it must also focus more attention on helping students succeed in school. School can be the key to breaking the cycle of homelessness, but so many children, especially those in shelters, continue to fall behind.”
Homelessness can pose serious threats to academic success.
The group found more than two-thirds of students in shelters and 50 percent of those in temporary housing are chronically absent from school.