During a Jan. 11 broadcast of "NBC Nightly News," correspondent Stephanie Gosk reported on homelessness among students in the City of Angels. She remarked that increases in the cost of living, and "a migrant crisis" are two key factors in a spike in homelessness among students.
"An increase in evictions, higher cost of living and a migrant crisis all [lead] to more students who don't have a permanent home," said Gosk. She also talked to LA Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho during the report.
"We have in excess of 13,000 students who are experiencing homelessness, [and] that number increased by close to 19 percent," said Carvalho. "I actually do believe that the numbers that we are currently tracking are but the tip of the iceberg." (Related: HOMELESSNESS in the U.S. reaches RECORD HIGH amid worsening economic downturn post-pandemic.)
Despite these figures, the superintendent – who was one homeless himself – shared some optimistic news. He told Gosk that the school district is devoting significant resources to counseling and mental health support.
Back in June of 2023, the Homeless Count performed by the LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) recorded a nine percent increase in homelessness in the county – which includes LA city proper and the surrounding areas. It also found a 10 percent increase in homelessness in the city limits.
"The homeless count results tell us what we already know – that we have a crisis on our streets, and it's getting worse," said LAHSA CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum.
The LAHSA's Homeless Count wasn't all pessimism, however. It also recorded a decrease in the amount of time it takes for someone to move from being homeless to having interim housing. "Young adults aged 18 to 24 who are homeless are being connected with interim housing more frequently," NBC 4 reported.
Student homelessness on the rise nationally
A July 2022 piece by The HomeMore Project (THMP) expounded on the issue of student homelessness, something it dubbed as "a pressing issue in America."
Citing a 2020 study conducted by the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) under the Department of Education, THMP said student homelessness has seen a 15 percent growth in just over the past three years. This has brought the total number of homeless students to more than 1.5 million.
"Student homelessness remains an issue that not enough people talk about. [Homeless students] are commonly referred to as the 'invisible million' due to how abundant yet undiscussed [their] problem is," THMP wrote.
The NCHE found in its study that learners with disabilities account for 19 percent of homeless students. Hispanics accounted for 38 percent of homeless students, while Blacks and Whites both accounted for 27 percent.
The THMP also cited an analysis on student homelessness in California's education system. This analysis discovered that homeless students are "almost twice as likely as their non-homeless peers to be suspended or miss an extended period of school; experience lower graduation rates; and fall short of college readiness standards." Moreover, it also noted that homeless students have higher rates of mental health problems.
Head over to HomelessAgenda.com for more stories like this.
Watch this video about the Biden White House's "new plan" to end homelessness.
This video is from the ThisisJohnWillliams channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
HOMELESSNESS in the U.S. reaches RECORD HIGH amid worsening economic downturn post-pandemic.
Poll shows 86% of Americans believe homelessness is a major problem in the U.S.
Crime and homelessness in Portland have cost Oregon over a billion dollars as residents flee.
A staggering number of college students in Los Angeles are HOMELESS, survey finds.
More and more people are becoming HOMELESS as America’s economic condition worsens.
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