New York City has reached a devastating new milestone: over 154,000 public school students were homeless during the 2023-2024 school year, according to new data from Advocates for Children. The figure, the highest ever recorded, exposes the worsening housing and migration crisis impacting the city’s education system. Despite declining immigration rates, thousands of children remain trapped in instability, missing school and falling behind academically.
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Decade of Rising Homelessness
The number of homeless students in New York City has more than doubled since 2010, even as the total student population declined. Advocates say the persistent rise reveals a deep-rooted housing emergency that the city has failed to solve. “Every year for the past decade, more than 100,000 students in our public schools have been homeless,” said Jennifer Pringle, Director of the Learners in Temporary Housing Project at Advocates for Children. She warned that poor coordination between shelter and school systems often results in students missing weeks of classes.
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Migrant Surge Deepens Crisis
The city’s homeless population surged following the influx of asylum seekers beginning in the summer of 2022. Public schools absorbed an estimated 50,000 new students in temporary housing, putting immense pressure on limited shelter and educational resources. Last year alone, about 65,000 students lived in shelters, while 82,000 others doubled up with friends or relatives, according to the latest figures.
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Impact of Federal Immigration Shift
Following President Donald Trump’s return to office in January, immigration slowed sharply, leading to a drop in new families entering city shelters. The overall shelter population has declined since peaking in early 2023, as the city closed many emergency facilities. Yet, advocates emphasize that thousands of children remain displaced and that the long-term educational damage is already severe.
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Stark Borough Disparities
Student homelessness is concentrated in the Bronx, where nearly one in five children lack permanent housing, a staggering 17%. Staten Island reports the lowest rate at 6%. These disparities highlight the uneven toll of poverty and housing insecurity across the five boroughs, with the Bronx continuing to face the most acute social and economic challenges.
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Chronic Absenteeism and Academic Gaps
Homeless students continue to struggle academically compared to peers with stable housing. Two-thirds of students living in shelters were chronically absent last year, compared to less than one-third of permanently housed students. While overall absenteeism in the city decreased slightly, it rose for those in shelters, largely due to inadequate transportation and the fear among immigrant families following Trump’s inauguration.
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Limited Progress and Ongoing Challenges
Advocates acknowledged recent city efforts, such as hiring more Department of Education staff to work in shelters and assist families. However, they stress that small fixes are not enough. They’re demanding structural reforms, including overhauling school bus contracts to improve transportation for homeless students and revising the state’s funding formula to allocate more resources to districts with higher homelessness rates.
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Calls for Future Action
Advocates also urge stronger interagency collaboration to ensure that families are placed in shelters near their schools. Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani has pledged to expand the “Every Child and Family is Known” mentorship program, which connects homeless students with supportive adults in their schools. He has described the homelessness crisis as one of the most urgent challenges facing the city’s education system.