“These numbers are particularly concerning given the extensive evidence documenting the harmful effects of housing instability on children’s development, health and educational outcomes,” Grace Kim, a research analyst at the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools and lead author of the report, said in a statement.
“The report makes clear that student homelessness is not only a housing issue, but a complex educational and developmental crisis requiring sustained, coordinated public action,” Kim said.
The report comes as California has approved a one-time $116 million allocation aimed at helping schools identify K-12 students experiencing homelessness and support their educational success.
Joseph Bishop, executive director of the Center for the Transformation of Schools and a report author, called the allocation the largest dedicated state investment in the country focused on housing-insecure youth.
“We look forward to working with our state’s policymakers and educators to ensure that California’s most housing-insecure students have an equitable opportunity to succeed,” Bishop said. “Our hope is that this new research can serve as a roadmap for prevention and systems change.”