NYC Student Homelessness Drops 10% But Still Affects 138,000 Children

New York City public schools served a large population of students without stable housing last year, though the total number decreased from the prior term. A report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Advocates for Children indicates that 138,000 students experienced homelessness during the 2025-26 school year. This figure represents one in eight students in the city's public school system.

The 10 percent decline from the previous year was primarily driven by fewer families residing in shelters. Despite the reduction, the number of affected students remains high, comparable to the population of Albany. This marks the eleventh consecutive year that the count has exceeded 100,000.

Among these students, 37 percent lived in shelters, while 58 percent doubled up with family or friends due to economic hardship. Academic outcomes for this group lag significantly behind peers in permanent housing. State test results from 2025 show that only 27 percent of sheltered students in grades 3 through 8 were proficient in reading. This is less than half the proficiency rate for students in stable housing.

Graduation and dropout rates also reflect these disparities. About 59 percent of sheltered students graduated on time, compared to the citywide average of 81 percent. Additionally, 14 percent of these students dropped out, a rate roughly triple that of their peers.

Attendance poses a major barrier for students in temporary housing. Nearly half of these students were chronically absent, missing at least 10 percent of the school year. For students living in shelters, this figure rose to 63 percent. The citywide chronic absence rate stands at about one-third. Furthermore, one in five sheltered students transferred schools at least once during the year, a rate more than four times higher than for other students.

Jennifer Pringle, director of Advocates for Children’s Learners in Temporary Housing Project, attributed some of these struggles to shelter placement logistics. She noted that 37 percent of families in shelters are placed in a different borough from where their children attend school. Pringle stated that school bus assignments often take more than a month to process, and buses frequently fail to show up.

"Unfortunately, for too many families, being in shelter derails their education," Pringle said. "I know this is the long game, but if we really want to address family homelessness, we have to focus on education now." She added that parents spending hours on daily commutes have less time to work or search for permanent housing. Families remain in shelters for an average of 14 months.

The Department of Homeless Services aims to place families in the borough where the youngest child attends school, but Pringle said this is not always possible. She suggested that shelter case managers check in with families a week after arrival to see if a transfer closer to school is needed. There is currently no mechanism to revisit initial shelter placements.

The city has responded with various initiatives to support these students. Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the Education Department has collaborated with other agencies to improve policies. These changes include eliminating a requirement for children to attend all housing meetings and expanding community schools with wraparound services in high-shelter districts. Samuels stated, "Supporting these students is both a priority and shared responsibility."

Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Erin Dalton pointed to declines in chronic absenteeism among sheltered students. The agency is expanding outreach to children who frequently miss school and working to help families transition to more stable housing. The Bronx continued to have the highest rate of student homelessness, with nearly one in six students affected. Manhattan had the next-highest rate at one in seven, while Staten Island had the lowest at about one in twenty.