NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Nearly one in eight New York City public school students—over 146,000 children—faced homelessness during the 2023–24 school year, according to a report released on Monday.
For the ninth consecutive year, over 100,000 New York City students experienced homelessness—a reality where children who started kindergarten when the city first hit this grim milestone are now entering high school, according to Advocates for Children of New York (AFC).
More than 146,000 students faced housing instability last school year, with 54% “doubled-up” in shared housing due to hardship and over 60,000 spending time in city shelters.
“Student homelessness has skyrocketed over the past decade, but right now, districts receive no additional per-pupil funding from the State to help meet the educational needs of students in temporary housing,” Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York, said in a statement.
The number of students in temporary housing increased across all 32 New York City community school districts last year compared to 2022–23. Homelessness among students remained concentrated in upper Manhattan, the southwest Bronx, and parts of northeast and central Brooklyn, with nearly one in six students in both the Bronx and Manhattan lacking a permanent home.
New York City’s shelter system has been overwhelmed in recent years by the arrival of more than 210,000 migrants since 2022, according to city data.
However, the issue of student homelessness in the city predates the migrant influx, rooted in a long-standing housing crisis. For years, affordable housing has been scarce, with high rents and limited availability making it challenging for families to find stable homes.