Overview
- Nearly 1 in 7 public school students lacked stable housing last year, with 42% in shelters, 53% doubled up, and about 5% unsheltered or in cars or hotels.
- Students in shelters faced severe educational hurdles, including roughly two-thirds chronically absent, only 22% proficient on state tests, a 1-in-8 dropout rate, and a 62% four-year graduation rate.
- Rates were highest in the Bronx at about 17%, with more than one in five students identified as homeless in districts such as East Harlem, Highbridge/Grand Concourse, Brownsville, and Bushwick.
- City officials cite expanded supports—over 350 dedicated staff, shelter-based coordinators, social workers, transportation and enrollment help, and a 2023 funding formula weight—plus ongoing cross-agency efforts.
- Advocates urge closer shelter placements to schools, faster bus routing and transportation fixes, targeted state funding changes, and stronger interagency coordination led by the next mayor.