News and Updates
Flexing the Flexibility of ARP-HCY Funding Series: Making the Most of Federal Relief Dollars to Help Students Experiencing Homelessness
This series highlights some specific uses of ARP-HCY funds; explains why these uses may be beneficial for students experiencing homelessness; provides strategies to address common concerns; and highlights how some school districts are using ARP-HCY funds for these purposes.
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What the Debt Ceiling Legislation Means for Child, Youth, and Family Homelessness
Legislation to suspend the debt ceiling for the next two years is expected to be passed this week. The legislation allows the nation to continue to borrow, and avoids the catastrophic consequences of a default. While this legislation has far-reaching implications across federal programs, below is a summary of some of the provisions with the greatest potential impact on child, youth, and family homelessness, and recommendations for action.
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Why We Use the Phrase “Experiencing Homelessness”
Why we've made an intentional choice to use "experiencing homelessness" rather than "unhoused," "houseless, or "housing insecurity" when communicating about homelessness.
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Committee for Education Funding Budget Book: Education for Homeless Children and Youth
SchoolHouse Connection highlighted the critical significance of funding for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program in the Committee for Education Funding's FY 2024 education budget book. You can access the comprehensive resource on CEF's budget book webpage, which includes informative charts, videos, and a briefing video.
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Critical Connections: Ensuring Mental Health Services for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Homelessness is caused by traumatic events, and often leads to traumatic events, creating compounding layers of complex trauma that have serious consequences, often having a significant impact on...
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Act by March 17 to Support Funding for Homeless Children & Youth
A bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter is circulating in the U.S. House of Representatives that calls for $800 million for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program and $300 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program in the FY 2024 budget. Please urge your U.S. Representative to sign on to the bipartisan Davis-Bacon-Panetta letter.
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Hidden Homelessness in the U.S.: Why Congress Must Change HUD’s Definition of Homelessness to Align With Other Federal Agencies
Learn why Congress must change the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homelessness to align with other federal agencies.
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The Pitfalls of HUD’s Point-in-Time Count for Children, Youth, and Families
On December 19, 2022, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part I (AHAR), boasting continuous decreases in both family and youth homelessness. In this brief, we explain why HUD’s data are flawed and misleading, and why other federal data sources provide a more accurate picture of child, youth, and family homelessness.
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The Education of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Current Trends, Challenges, and Needs
This fact sheet includes the current trends, challenges, and need of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
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Seen and Served: How Dedicated Federal Funding Supports the Identification of Students Experiencing Homelessness
Millions of children in the United States are impacted by homelessness, a rapidly escalating crisis that demands prompt action. This article highlights the numerous obstacles faced by homeless students and offers policy recommendations to address their needs.
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