Reform Efforts
Reform Efforts
In an attempt to mitigate the devastating effects of limited access to educational opportunities for youth and young adults at risk of and experiencing homelessness, particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ youth, the following reform efforts have been attempted. Many of the efforts have focused on creating resources that identify a role to coordinate services for homeless students, basic needs supports, coordination across systems and how students are prioritized for services. These efforts have had varying levels of success in ensuring more access to the completion of high school and higher education.
Legislative Reforms
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act gives states and local school districts funds to serve children and youth experiencing homelessness in school. Some districts have used these funds to coordinate services across the homeless response and social services system, giving young people access to housing and support needed to remain housed or quickly regain housing. However, this program has been historically underfunded, leaving most school districts with too few dollars to offer robust services or to coordinate with other systems and community organizations, leaving many youth in schools experiencing homelessness unserved. There was an increase of $800 million in the American Rescue Act Plan which offered some flexibility to not only offer wraparound services but pay for emergency housing. It is unknown at this time how schools are using those funds to meet the needs of unaccompanied youth.
State laws that support college students experiencing homelessness - Resource published by Schoolhouse Connection that lists the state legislation on the following student support: 1) homeless liaisons on college campuses 2) housing prioritization for students at risk of or experiencing hoemlessness or aging out of foster care; 3) Priority class enrollment 4) Financial aid; 5) Tuition, grants and fee waivers 6) In-state tuition waivers 7) work study 8) housing and support programs.
Program Spotlights
Collaboration across the education and homeless response system
The National Center for Homeless Education provides an overview of resources and guides to support cross collaboration within educational partners and homeless and housing services
HUD Addressing Housing Insecurity and Living Costs in Higher Education Guidebook co-authored with the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, reviews and explains strategies that institutions of higher education may consider to support their students with housing insecurity and other living costs, as well as examples of implementation of these strategies.
Basic needs
Cal State Basic Needs Initiative: The California State University system has implemented Basic Needs services across all 23 campuses. This program provides basic needs (e.g. food pantry, support students w/ various state-funded basic needs benefits, crisis support and health care connections).
Housing Supports
California AB 1228 (2015) (Ca. Educ. Code §§76010, 90001.5, 92660) - 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 are 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.