NYC’s homeless student population increased last school year despite enrollment drop: data

The number of New York City students experiencing homelessness increased last school year even though the Department of Education saw a significant drop in enrollment over the same period, according to data exclusively obtained by the Daily News.

The data, compiled by Advocates for Children of New York, shows that about 104,000 students across the city’s public school system suffered from homelessness in the last school year, which stretched from September 2021 through June 2022. That’s a 3.3% uptick as compared to the 2020-2021 school year, when 101,000 students were identified as homeless by the advocacy group.

“If these 100,000 children made up their own school district, it would be a district larger than 99.5% of all other districts nationwide,” said Kim Sweet, AFC’s executive director.

Data from AFC also shows enrollment in the city plunged last school year by 3.2% — or roughly 34,000 pupils — as compared to the 2020-2021 calendar, meaning homelessness is getting more widespread in the student body.

There are about 1 million students total enrolled in city public schools, according to Department of Education data.

The 2021-2022 span marks the seventh consecutive school year when more than 100,000 city students were classified as homeless, AFC officials said.

In fighting homelessness, Mayor Adams’ administration has zeroed in on breaking up street encampments — an effort that’s drawn pushback from critics who deem it inhumane and ineffective.

Jennifer Pringle, director of AFC’s Learners in Temporary Housing Project, said she wishes the administration would focus more on addressing student homelessness.

Earlier this year, the administration committed to hiring 100 shelter-based Department of Education community coordinators tasked with helping homeless families navigate the school system — but Pringle said none of those posts had been filled as of this week. At the same time, there’s a leadership vacuum at the department’s Office of Students in Temporary Housing, since its executive director departed earlier this fall.

“The new community coordinators will be critical for helping students in shelter access a quality education and break the cycle of homelessness,” she said. “Hiring and training all 100 of these staffers so they can support families on day one, along with filling the open leadership roles within the Students in Temporary Housing team, must be an urgent priority for this administration.”

Department of Education spokeswoman Suzan Sumer said the agency has “begun the hiring process” for the 100 shelter coordinators, but would not give a timeline for when she expects them to come onboard. Sumer did say the department employs 350 social workers who work with students and families impacted by homelessness.

“We are proud to staff a strong team of student- and family-service providers across our districts wholly devoted to this work,” she said.

AFC defines homelessness in three categories: Those living in shelters; those going unsheltered and sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings or on the streets, and those who are “doubled up,” meaning they’re sharing housing with other families, friends or relatives due to economic hardship.

Of the 104,000 students labeled homeless last school year, more than 29,000 were in shelters; 69,000 were “doubled up” and nearly 5,500 went unsheltered, according to the data obtained by The News.

Ms. Maldonado, a South Bronx homeless shelter resident who spoke on condition that her first name not be used, said her two sons, aged 15 and 10, are struggling to keep up in school due to their living situation.

“There’s really no hands-on help. Right now, we could really use help,” she said. “The schools are overpopulated, so the kids are constantly coming back sick. It’s just an ongoing horror movie.”

Holding back tears, Maldonado continued: “My youngest one, who’s autistic, it’s affecting him big time, because he’s acting out in school. He’s acting out severely, which isn’t like him … No family should have to live like this.”

Officials with AFC noted that student homelessness has likely increased further in recent months due to an influx into the school system of thousands of Latin American migrant kids.

As of earlier this month, roughly 6,100 migrant children had been enrolled in city public schools, according to data from City Hall, and most of them are believed to be living in shelters.

The highest homelessness rate registered by AFC was in The Bronx’s District 9, which encompasses Morrisania, Tremont and Grand Concourse, where a staggering 1 in 5 students went homeless in the last school year.

Sumer, the Education Department spokeswoman, did not divulge any specific new initiatives for combatting student homelessness, but said the administration is focused on supporting children in the city no matter where they live.

“It is our on-going priority to provide our students, including students living in foster care, temporary housing, and asylum seekers living in shelters, with the support and resources they need, when they need them,” she said.

With Josephine Stratman