Housing Crisis Deepens for Students Across the US
The deepening housing crisis in the United States continues to have its most severe impact on children and students. Recent data reveal that hundreds of thousands of students across the country are living in homelessness or unstable housing conditions. These students are forced to sustain their lives in shelters, hotels, overcrowded apartments shared with others, or through other temporary arrangements.
According to data from the National Center for Homeless Education, approximately 1.4 million students nationwide are officially recorded as homeless. Federal data indicate that student homelessness increased by 104% between 2005 and 2023. However, experts emphasize that these figures do not fully reflect the reality and that the scope of the problem extends far beyond official statistics.
In 2025, New York City identified 154,000 homeless students, marking the highest number in the city’s recorded history. In California, the number of homeless students increased by nearly 20,000 in a single year, representing the sharpest rise the state has experienced in the past decade. The issue is not limited to major metropolitan areas; increases in student homelessness were also reported in suburban and rural communities in states such as Iowa, Indiana, and Florida.
Experts note that one of the main reasons student homelessness remains a “hidden” problem is that a large proportion of affected students are “doubled up,” meaning they temporarily live with relatives or acquaintances. More than 70% of homeless students fall into this category. This situation complicates identification, often shifting responsibility to teachers and school staff. Education specialists point out that frequent school changes, students concealing their living situations from peers and teachers, and families remaining silent out of fear that their children may be taken into state care further obscure the crisis and hinder effective intervention.