FAQs

What is the official definition of homelessness?
How many children and youth are living in shelters in New York City?
Why are children and youth homeless?
What types of families are homeless?
Where do families go once they’re homeless?
What are the different types of shelters homeless families stay in?
What educational rights do homeless students have?
How does homelessness affect a student’s performance in school?
What does the shelter system do with unaccompanied minors?

What is the official definition of homelessness?
The federal definition of homelessness, used by all public schools in the United States, includes children and youth who “lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence,” according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.  This definition specifically includes children and youth living in shelters, transitional housing, cars, campgrounds, motels and those temporarily sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons.

Of the children and youth identified as homeless and enrolled in public schools in the 2008-2009 school year, 22 percent lived in shelters, according to The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. Sixty-five percent lived in doubled-up situations, 7 percent in motels and the remainder in unsheltered locations.

How many children and youth are living in shelters in New York City?
According to the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), on March 31, 2010:

  • Total number of homeless people: 38,187 (2000 = 22,955; 1990 = 20,995)
  • Number of homeless families: 10,022 (2000 = 5,035; 1990 = 3,707)
  • Number of homeless children: 15,570 (2000 = 8,863; 1990 = 6,747)

Over 150 new families apply for shelter at the PATH office every day.

According to DHS statistics, 34,203 children and youth (ages 6 to 20) lived in temporary shelters in 2010 – a 15 percent increase from 2009 and an 85 percent increase from 2008. Children and youth make up nearly 63 percent of the homeless family population.

The number of children under the age of 6 has risen nearly 20 percent since 2009 – there were 16,440 homeless children in this category during the 2010 fiscal year.

Why are children and youth homeless?

The rise in family homelessness is two-fold: a shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in severe poverty. The average income of families experiencing homelessness is less than half the poverty line, according to the Urban Institute.

There is also a rising gap between income and housing costs for low-income individuals. In New York for example, an employee making the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour would have to work 120 hours a week to afford a $1,129 studio in the Bronx, based on market rent rates. According to Out of Reach, an annual survey of wages and housing costs put together by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, to afford a two-bedroom in Brooklyn, a family would need to take in $54,000 a year.  The median income of Brooklyn renters is $34,000. The authors of the report also state that for every 37 affordable units, there are 100 people who need them.

Other factors contributing to family homelessness are eviction, job loss, domestic violence, loss of public assistance and loss of rental assistance.

What types of families are homeless?
The majority of homeless families are of a minority race. Approximately 53 percent are African-American, 40 percent Hispanic and two percent white. The typical homeless family in New York City is headed by an unemployed, single Black or Hispanic woman between the ages of 18 and 25. She has one or two children and lacks a high school diploma. She is also, on average, homeless for the first time and likely receives some form of public assistance.

Where do families go once they’re homeless?
There is one point of entry into the New York City shelter system for families facing homelessness: the Prevention Assistance & Temporary Housing (PATH) intake center at 346 Powers Avenue in the Bronx. The application process involves an investigation of housing options before families are deemed eligible or ineligible for shelter. During the investigation, families are placed in a 10-day emergency shelter.

What are the different types of shelters homeless families stay in?
There are 148 shelters within the Department of Homeless Services’ system. Only six are operated entirely by DHS and the others are contractually run by other organizations, usually nonprofits. Of the total shelter units, 61 are hotels, 11 are cluster sites and 73 are tier II shelters. Cluster sites are temporary transitional housing units located within leased apartment buildings. Tier II shelters are designed to return families to permanent housing and have on-site caseworkers to help with apartment or employment searches and child care, while tier I shelters are designated for victims of domestic abuse.

What educational rights do homeless students have?
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that requires state and local educational agencies provide students with equal access to school and support. Key provisions of the act include:

  • Students who are homeless can remain in one school, even if their temporary housing is located in another district.
  • Schools must provide transportation or provide a MetroCard if a direct bus route is not available.
  • Children and youth who are homeless can enroll in school and begin attending immediately, even if they cannot produce normally required documents, such as birth certificates, proof of guardianship, immunization records or proof of residency.
  • Every school district must designate a homeless liaison in the district that collaborates with other agencies serving homeless children, youth and families.

How does homelessness affect a student’s performance in school?
Homelessness has a tremendous effect on a child’s education. Many experts consider education essential in breaking the cycle of poverty, which is why the McKinney-Vento Act was created to mandate equal opportunity to free public education for homeless students. This act is supposed to break down the barriers homeless students have to receiving an education, which include residency restriction, medical record verification, and transportation issues. But beyond these barriers, students are still subject to the stigma of being homeless. Some families don’t report their homelessness because they are embarrassed, while others are unaware of the opportunities legally available to them.

NYS-TEACHS reports that maintaining a stable school environment helps the students because school mobility is disruptive. Many homeless students fall behind their peers in school due to behavioral disorders and lack of attendance in school.

Compared to housed students, homeless students are:

  • 1.5 times more likely to perform below grade level in reading; 1.5 times more likely to perform below grade level in spelling; and 2.5 times more likely to perform below grade level in math;
  • Nine times more likely to repeat a grade;
  • Four times more likely to drop out of school;
  • Three times more likely to be placed in special education programs; and
  • Twice as likely to score lower on standardized tests.

What does the shelter system do with unaccompanied minors?
An unaccompanied youth is a minor who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. This includes youth who have run away from home, have been kicked out of their homes, or have been abandoned. New York City has the highest rate of homeless and runaway youth in America and between 20 to 40 percent of them identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. There are many runaway youth shelters in New York City, including Covenant House, Green Chimneys and the Ali Forney Center – all with their own policies regarding youth intake. However, the Administration for Children’s Services requires case workers to contact the parents of unaccompanied youth within 72 hours unless the case involves report of abuse or neglect, in which case it would be reported to Child Protective Services. Youth between the ages of 18 to 21 can stay in a shelter for 30 days, after which the Office of Youth & Community Development must approve an extension. Extensions for youth under 18 are only approved with parental permission.