In Santa Rita Union Elementary, the increase heavily reflects the district’s renewed efforts to identify homeless students. They’re a measure of who’s identified and who’s enrolled in school,” said Barbara Duffield, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a national homeless advocacy organization. “I don’t think it’s as easy as: numbers up, homelessness is up numbers down, homelessness is down. With mass returns to campuses, homeless numbers statewide are on par with pre-pandemic numbers.Įxperts caution that statistics on homeless students can say more about how well schools are identifying homeless students than about how many students are experiencing homelessness. This was largely expected by experts, who say the problem of undercounting homeless students was especially egregious during pandemic-era remote learning - school staff relies on in-person interactions to identify homeless students. Increases in coastal counties like Humboldt, Monterey and Ventura and in inland counties like Plumas, Mariposa and San Bernardino come after declining the previous three years. While enrollment in California dipped last year, the number of homeless students rose 9%. Some areas have also lost housing to natural disasters, including wildfires, flooding and earthquakes.
But families have been pushed to the brink by skyrocketing rent following the expiration of the state’s eviction moratorium and inflation, liaisons said.
Homelessness was on the rise before the pandemic due to a lack of affordable housing. These vouchers were paid with funding from the federal American Rescue Plan, which liaisons statewide say has given key support to homeless families through the pandemic and its economic aftermath. Families living together or doubling up is not uncommon.įor Franquis’ family in nearby Monterey, where they’ve since moved, support initially came in the form of vouchers to stay in a motel while they figured out their next steps. Known as an agricultural hub lush with produce and vineyards, Salinas has long been described by residents as a place where there’s a squeeze of the low wages in an area with a high cost of living.
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