What is the rate of homelessness among Native American students?

Approximately 450,000 Native American students are enrolled in public schools across the U.S., including 46,000 who attend Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools (which operate 183 school sites on 64 Native reservations across 23 states). During the 2022–2023 school year:

• Approximately 6% of all Native American students in public schools were identified as experiencing homelessness, the second most overrepresented population (after Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders). 
• The highest rates of identified Native American students experiencing homelessness were reported in states with significant Native populations, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
• 5.2% of Native American students enrolled in BIE schools were identified as experiencing homelessness, nearly twice the homeless identification rate of students in all public schools. 

Unique Factors When Supporting Native Students Experiencing Homelessness in Indian Country

In Indian Country—particularly in very rural and remote reservation communities—supporting Native students experiencing homelessness comes with unique challenges. Identification is often difficult due to cultural nuances, stigma, and isolation. Even once students are identified, meeting basic needs like transportation, access to food, safe and stable housing, and hygiene products can be incredibly challenging due to geographic barriers and limited local resources.

Three Strategies to Support Homeless Students in Indian Country

Whether you are a homeless education liaison in a local education agency or a BIE school, or a community partner, identifying Native American students experiencing homelessness requires an understanding of the unique cultural circumstances. Here are some key considerations:

1. Increase Coordination Between School Systems.

Public schools and BIE schools often serve the same students—either through student transfers or when BIE schools feed into public schools. However, coordination between these two systems is rare, resulting in significant gaps in both student identification and the continuity of support services.

2. Understand the Factors that Deter Native Students & Families from Self-Identifying

Lack of Understanding of the McKinney-Vento Definition of Homelessness

Native American families may not consider circumstances like sharing the housing of others or substandard housing as homelessness, particularly in areas where poor housing conditions are widespread. Many families believe that simply having “a roof over our heads” means they are not homeless—even if that roof leaks or the home lacks heat, plumbing, kitchen facilities, or otherwise jeopardizes healthy child development. These conditions can have serious impacts on students’ well-being and educational outcomes.

Cultural Views on Family and Homelessness

Tribal definitions of family, guardianship, and “home” often differ from those in federal law, which can complicate identification, particularly of unaccompanied homeless youth.

Lack of Traditional Shelters or Motels

With few shelters or motels in Indian Country, students experiencing homelessness are more likely to stay with others temporarily (“doubled-up”), making identification more difficult.

3. Build and Strengthen Partnerships

Native homeless liaisons in both public and BIE schools have developed effective, community-based approaches to identify and support Native American students experiencing homelessness. Here are a few tried-and-true strategies that have made a difference:

First, build trust.

To effectively support families, liaisons must first build trust and create a welcoming environment. The Use of Storytelling in Identifying Students is an effective strategy for building authentic connections and strong relational foundations.

Build strong partnerships with tribal governments to provide meaningful support and resources.

Homeless liaisons are encouraged to engage their local tribal leaders to raise awareness about student homelessness and its impact on education. One powerful way to initiate these conversations is by sharing local data on the prevalence of homelessness among Native students. 

Build strong community partnerships to meet the comprehensive needs of students and families.

In many reservation-based areas, local resources may be limited or nonexistent—so it’s important to think expansively and creatively about what “community” means.

For instance, some reservation-based schools are located two or more hours from the nearest wholesale grocery store, major retailer, or donation center. In Browning, Montana—on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation—school liaisons regularly collaborated with partners located across the Rocky Mountains, more than two hours away, to secure essential supplies and support for students.

These kinds of cross-regional partnerships can bridge critical gaps and ensure that even the most remote schools have access to needed resources.