Prevalence of Youth Homelessness

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Released in January 2022 by PA Head Start State Collaboration Office in collaboration with HopePHL (as PEC) and Grace Whitney, PhD, MPA, IMHE(r). This  brief, by Dr. Grace Whitney, with Tracey Duarte of Pennsylvania Head Start State Collaboration Office, and the Building Early Links for Learning Project Team, includes overall population and poverty data for children under age 6 and presents data on what we know about the participation of young children experiencing homelessness enrolled in quality early childhood programs from both the early childhood and housing perspectives. These data and trends over time are available to establish baselines, set policy directions, and gauge progress.

Prevalence of homelessness ​

• There were 8,383 children and youth who experienced homelessness in School Year (SY) 2023, an increase since 2019 by 7% and 94% since 2014. 
• Of the 8,383 homeless children, 2,782 were children ages birth through kindergarten or 33%.   
• Children ages birth to 2 continue to be the highest number reported of all age groups, representing 13% of all homeless children.  
• There was a 42% decrease in the number of homeless students from 9th grade to 10th grade.  

Pre K participation

• The number of children ages 3-5 ‘Not in PreK’ in SY 2022 exceeded SY 2019 data, suggesting that a growing trend among these children is NOT to be in PreK. 

Living arrangements

• 66% of all homeless students are living doubled up (living with family or friends due to economic conditions) and likely not served by the homeless housing system.  
• 88% of homeless children ages birth through 5 are living doubled up.

Chronic Truancy 

• The range of homeless students in all grades is chronically truant, from 59% to 71%.

Mobility

• 70% of all homeless students stay in one school; 15% of these students attend more than one school during the year, and 2% attend more than two schools.

Academic Achievement 

• The percentage range of homeless students scoring Proficient or Advanced is between 13% and 24%.