Nearly 1 in 7 NYC public school students were homeless last year: report

Record number of NYC students faced homelessness last school year, report finds

In an interview with FOX 5 NY’s Stephanie Bertini, a Bronx mother living in a city shelter described the emotional toll of losing her longtime home after rent became unaffordable.

NEW YORK - A growing number of New York City children are attending school without a permanent place to live, according to a new report from Advocates for Children of New York. 

By the numbers:

The data shows that more than 154,000 public school students, nearly 1 in 7, experienced homelessness during the 2024–25 school year, marking a record high.

The numbers represent an increase across all five boroughs, with the highest rates reported in the Bronx, where more than 17% of students were without stable housing. 

Manhattan followed with over 16%, while Staten Island saw rates above 5%, according to the organization’s findings.

Bronx mother says she moved with son to shelter because of high rent

In an interview with FOX 5 NY’s Stephanie Bertini, a Bronx mother living in a city shelter described the emotional toll of losing her longtime home after rent became unaffordable.

"He started crying to go home," she said of her young son. "And I said, we have to stay here because we don’t have anywhere to stay. So he was a little sad."

The mother, who works as a home attendant and is raising her son alone, said she never wanted to end up in a shelter.

"It’s a little frustrating because in reality, one doesn’t want to make this decision," she said. "But you have to make it, because life is very expensive and at times you don’t have money to pay rent."

Big picture view:

Advocates say housing instability has far-reaching effects on education, with homeless children more likely to miss school and fall behind academically.

"It does often have a devastating impact on children’s educational development and emotional development," Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Dave Giffen told FOX 5 NY.

A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Education said the agency shares Advocates for Children’s commitment to helping unhoused students succeed.

What they're saying:

"We will always provide every student, including those in temporary housing, with the resources they need to succeed in school, while working with our partners to remove any barriers to learning," the department said in a statement.

The DOE said it has more than 350 staff members focused on supporting students and families affected by homelessness, including:

• 100 Bridging the Gap social workers who provide mental health and community-based support.
• 107 community coordinators who help improve attendance and engagement.
• 160 shelter-based coordinators who work directly with families to ensure access to education and transportation.

The department also highlighted updates to its Fair Student Funding formula, which now allocates more money to schools serving students in temporary housing, as well as initiatives providing counseling, transportation, enrollment help, and immunization assistance.

Local perspective:

"Education is key to breaking the cycle of homelessness," the DOE said, "and we will continue to strengthen our trauma-informed, cross-agency, and data-driven strategies to help students and families thrive."

The full Advocates for Children report can be found here.