State Policy

Steps Toward Solutions: Housing and Transportation Resources

This page compiles state policy examples, research, and practical tools to address housing instability and transportation barriers affecting students and youth experiencing homelessness. It highlights enacted and proposed legislation, emerging strategies, and advocacy resources to support education stability from early childhood through postsecondary education.

Lack of stable, safe, affordable housing and lack of transportation are persistent barriers confronting service providers and advocates working to help youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and their families. These problems exist in urban, suburban, and rural communities alike. Few, if any, states have enough affordable housing units to meet the needs of their residents, including those experiencing homelessness. School districts also commonly struggle to provide homeless students with the transportation services required by the McKinney-Vento Act that are essential to their enrollment, attendance, and success in school.

SchoolHouse Connection works with stakeholders across the U.S. to explore policy solutions and innovative strategies to address the challenges they face in trying to help young people end their homelessness. There is no single solution, and each state has its own set of variables to manage. But one thing that has become clear to us is that we can provide our partners with some tools that they might find helpful in their work. We have begun to do just that here.

SHC has compiled tools, research, and examples to highlight for school district homeless liaisons, housing specialists, transportation coordinators, community organizations, advocates, policymakers and others interested in better supporting students experiencing homelessness.  These resources are intended to help inform strategies for policy change, program development, resource management, and other measures for addressing the transportation and housing dilemmas affecting children and youth experiencing homelessness in school districts and communities across the country. SHC will continue to update the resources found here, and we welcome your recommendations.

Housing & Related Services

A number of state legislatures across the political spectrum are looking for solutions to what has become a nationwide shortage of affordable housing. In addition, some states have begun to recognize and address the unique challenges youth experiencing homelessness face.In addition to addressing housing challenges, we recognize that effectively addressing homelessness requires addressing multiple contributing issues. The quest for these solutions should begin with homeless children and include students from pre-K through to higher education and into adulthood. It should include the communities that are urban, suburban, and rural, recognizing the struggle to access housing is not confined to any particular type of community.

Below we highlight pilots and other proposals to provide critical services and support young people experiencing homelessness need to achieve stability.

CA-MA

Transitional housing for Homeless LGBTQ+ Youth (Proposed)

AB 2007 would have established a 3-year pilot program funding community-based organizations in up to 5 counties that provide transitional housing for LGBTQ+ youth, 18 to 24 years of age, experiencing homelessness due to family rejection, with the ultimate goal of reunification with the youth’s original family. The bill would require the community-based organization to place eligible youth with volunteer host families who are able to provide crisis intervention with a trauma-informed approach to their care.

Youth Housing Bonds (Proposed)
SB 1079 proposed the sale of $1 billion of general obligations bonds to fund youth housing programs. “Youth housing” was defined as a facility that provides a variety of services to current or former foster youth, homeless minors or youth, or minors or youth at risk of homelessness to assist them with their immediate basic needs and to help reunite them with their parents, if appropriate, or, find a suitable home.

TX-WI

Funding for Homeless Prevention Due to Economic Development (Proposed)
States are looking at a more diverse set of factors leading to homelessness. HB 780 aimed to add the funding of prevention of homelessness resulting from displacement due to economic development activities to an existing state program.

Housing and Services Program Grant (Passed)

The Homeless Housing and Services Program (HHSP) was established as a pilot in 2009 and permanent program through SB 1 in 2011. HHSP funding is allocated to Texas municipalities with populations of 285,500 or greater for the provision of homelessness prevention and homeless services and includes youth set-aside funds that are restricted to providing homeless assistance to youth under the age of 24. There is $1.5 million for the 2026 youth set-aside for uses that include construction, development, or procurement of housing; rehabilitation of structures; provision of direct services, case management and essential services; and operation of emergency shelters.

Postsecondary Education

In recent years, state legislatures have been actively supporting access to and success in postsecondary education for students experiencing homelessness. This has included supports such as priority access to on-campus housing and housing during college breaks.

Housing Priority (Passed)
AB 1228 indicated that University of California and California State University campuses that maintain student housing facilities must, and community college campuses that maintain student housing facilities are requested to:
  • Give priority for housing to current and former homeless youth and foster youth;
  • Give first priority for housing open during school breaks or year-round to current and former homeless youth and foster youth; and
  • Provide housing to current and former homeless youth and foster youth during academic breaks at no extra cost.
In addition, California State University, University of California, and community college campuses were requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former homeless youth and foster youth can access housing resources as needed during and between academic terms.
Rapid Rehousing (Passed)
In the 2019-20 budget, California allocated $19 million to California’s three public post-secondary institutions to be used to support Rapid Rehousing efforts that assist homeless and housing insecure college students. Authorized uses of funds included, but were not limited to: connecting students with community case managers who have knowledge and expertise in accessing safety net resources; establishing ongoing emergency housing procedures, including on-campus and off-campus resources; and emergency grants that are necessary to secure housing or to prevent the imminent loss of housing.

Transportation

Students experiencing homelessness often change living arrangements, which can disrupt their education and cause attendance and academic performance. In response, the McKinney-Vento Act requires school districts to provide transportation to maintain school stability for children and youth experiencing homelessness and to remove transportation barriers to participation in school activities. While vital, providing transportation can be challenging, especially given the challenges of mobility, lengthy commuting distances, driver shortages, and traversing district boundaries.

In 2022, SHC released Meeting the Transportation Needs of Students Experiencing Homelessness in the Pandemic and Beyond, to share strategies with educators across the country. Providing transportation for students experiencing homelessness eliminates one of the most often cited barriers to their school enrollment and regular attendance.

Below are state policy strategies for addressing common transportation challenges.

Expanding Opportunities through Grants (Passed)
HB 5407 expanded the activities eligible for assistance through the Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant Program. Additional activities include transportation assistance, such as school bus transportation, public transportation passes, and gasoline assistance for a student or family with a vehicle or to a family member with a vehicle who can transport the student.

The Road Ahead and the Need for Advocacy

Much of the legislation presented in the section above is still pending in state legislatures. Without passage, the proposals are simply ideas policymakers might consider in addressing these issues. If enacted, these proposals will need robust efforts to ensure effective implementation.

Policy and advocacy are essential for addressing child and youth homelessness because they can help create systemic change that supports young people who are experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness. Policies and advocacy efforts can result in increased funding and resources for programs and services that address youth homelessness. This can include funding for shelters, transitional housing, and support services such as counseling, job training, and education.

Many aspects of youth homelessness are invisible to the public, policymakers, educators, and service providers. Advocacy can help raise awareness about the issue of child and youth homelessness and the need for resources and services to address it. By bringing attention to the issue, policymakers and the public can better understand the scope of the problem and the need for action. We also can increase the preventative work being done to address the underlying causes of youth homelessness. Advocacy activity underpins every major development in addressing issues of child and youth homelessness, and now, more than ever, it is critical to increase these initiatives.

Ultimately, policy and advocacy efforts can help create systemic change that supports young people who are experiencing homelessness. This can include changes to housing policy, education policy, and social services that make it easier for young people to access the resources and support they need to thrive.

Tips on How to Engage in Advocacy

1. Identify your goals

Start by clearly identifying what you want to achieve through your advocacy work. Are you trying to raise awareness about youth homelessness in your community? Are you advocating for policy changes or funding to support homeless youth services? You can create a targeted advocacy plan that addresses specific issues by defining your goals.

2. Research the issue

Educate yourself on the issue of child and youth homelessness. Gather data and statistics from local education agencies, youth service providers, and cross-sector partners in housing, child welfare, and juvenile justice. The story this data tells will help you decipher which issues should be prioritized. You can also benefit from examining what other states have done to introduce bills or pass laws and reaching out to those groups involved in those campaigns to document best practices. This will help you to make informed decisions and advocate more effectively.

Related Resource:

SchoolHouse Connection provides various state law briefs and nationwide policy updates on the website. You can find those resources here.

3. Identify your audience

Who are the key stakeholders with influence that can drive youth homelessness policy change? This may include lawmakers, community leaders, service providers, and people with lived experience. Develop targeted messaging that speaks to each audience. Search your existing network for connections that already exist. 

4. Build coalitions

Identify organizations and individuals that share your goals and work together to advocate for change. By building coalitions, you can amplify your message and increase your impact. Building coalitions with organizations that can lobby and engage in cross-sector advocacy is imperative. A diverse coalition brings in multiple related perspectives that are informed by their shared experience with the issue. This should include impacted young people, whose voices should be featured prominently, and whose lived experiences should be central to your strategy.  Their stories will drive the work forward and ensure that solutions are relevant and comprehensive. 

5. Develop a plan of action

Identify specific actions you can take to achieve your advocacy goals. This may include meeting with policymakers, organizing rallies or awareness events, speaking at community meetings, or using social media to raise awareness. This may also include conducting a phone, email, or social media campaign and engaging national organizations for best practices. You should develop a plan of action that is iterative and responsive. It is imperative that this plan accounts for multiple meetings with stakeholders, alternative strategies, community engagement, and public awareness campaigns. 

6. Measure your impact

Keep track of your progress and measure the impact of your advocacy work. All progress is a step in the right direction, no matter how small. This will help you to adjust your strategy as needed and demonstrate the effectiveness of your efforts.

Advocacy Plan & Power Analysis Template

The goal of power analysis in advocacy is to identify opportunities for change and develop strategies to shift the balance of power in favor of marginalized groups or causes. A power analysis can also help advocates understand the sources of resistance to change and anticipate potential obstacles or challenges.

Remember that advocacy work is a long-term process that requires patience, persistence, and collaboration. With these tips in mind, you can effectively plan and execute your advocacy work for youth experiencing homelessness. 

Advocating for children and youth experiencing homelessness is a moral imperative and a matter of social responsibility. Homelessness affects the health and well-being of young people and has long-term social and economic consequences. By advocating for policies and programs that support children and youth experiencing homelessness in accessing housing and transportation, we can break the cycle of poverty and homelessness and create a better future for all. Every young person needs a safe and stable home, and by advocating for their needs, we can help them realize their full potential and build a brighter tomorrow.