This brief is designed for Title I, Part D (TIPD) State coordinators, as well as state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) that receive TIPD funding. This resource will provide an overview of experiences of homelessness among students in the United States; information on the relationship between experiences of homelessness and involvement in the criminal justice system among students; and suggestions for ways TIPD State coordinators can collaborate with Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) staff and coordinators to support students experiencing homelessness who have been involved in the justice system.1 This brief relies on the definition of homelessness as outlined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act which includes a lack of access to a fixed, regular, and nighttime adequate residence, such as living in emergency or transitional shelters, outside or on the street, or temporarily staying with others due to economic hardships (42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2)).23
Experiencing homelessness can have long-lasting implications for students’ educational outcomes as well as subsequent contact with the criminal justice system, placing Part D State coordinators, SEAs, and LEAs that receive Part D funding in unique positions to intervene in the lives of these students to support their wellbeing. In particular, the experience of homelessness can have detrimental effects on student attendance, grades, academic achievements, graduation rates, and social engagement with peers and adultsi, ii, iii . These effects are heightened for some students because not all young people have the sameodds of experiencing housing instability or homelessness. Racist and discriminatory housing policies and practices have contributed to the disproportionate representation of Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaskan Native youth populations experiencing homelessness across the countryiv, v, vi, vii .
LGBTQ+ youth are also overrepresented among young people experiencing homelessness, in part due to the housing discrimination against individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ viii. Unaccompanied4 LGBTQ+ youth report household tensions, conflicts with parents, and escalating feelings of rejection from their family preceding experiences of homelessnessix . 5 Notably, youth and young adults who are involved with child welfare or juvenile justice systems – who are often eligible to be served by Part D programs – also disproportionately experience homelessness Morton et al., 2017x .
Students may also experience systemic discrimination and inequities that further impact their access to stable housing in response to aspects of their identity and lived experiences – including but not limited to their age, parental status, economic situation, previous episodes of homelessness both with and without their parents, nationality, language use, and disability status – and the intersection of these characteristics and experiences. In one national study, youth who identified as both LGBTQ+ and Black or multiracial, had some of the highest rates of experiences of homelessnessxi . 6
By fostering effective collaboration between Part D State coordinators and EHCY coordinators, educational institutions can use a multifaceted approach to assist students facing both experiences of homelessness and involvement in the criminal justice system. This document will serve as a guide that describes several essential facets to supporting these students including: (1) information on the identification of students experiencing homelessness; (2) an overview of how experiences of homelessness affect students’ educational outcomes; (3) an understanding of how homelessness can lead to encounters with the criminal justice system; and (4) the delineation of strategic measures that Part D State coordinators and key stakeholders can implement to better support students, spanning collaborative initiatives during best determination meetings, impactful policy deliberations, facilitation of transition teams, data exchange, and more. This brief will also serve as a resource that will direct readers to a variety of materials aimed to enhance comprehension and provide actionable insights for effectively aiding students experiencing homelessness and navigating the complexities of the criminal justice system.
