1 in 8 NYC public school students were homeless last school year

What happened

One in eight New York City public school students was homeless at some point last school year. That is about 138,000 students, down from about 154,000 the year before. The figures come from Advocates for Children of New York, which compiles the count each year. NY1 reported the data on 11/10/2026. The Daily News reported the same day that the data was released on Tuesday.

It is the eleventh year in a row that more than 100,000 city public school students were homeless. According to NY1, 50,700 students spent time in a shelter and 81,100 were doubled up, meaning they shared someone else's housing after losing their own. The rest were in other temporary housing. The Daily News put the split at 58% doubled up and 37% in shelters. It said the remainder were in hotels or had no roof at all. The count covers all students considered homeless under federal education law.

Both outlets said the drop was driven by a 22% decrease in students living in city shelters. NY1 said this coincided with the closure of several large shelters used for recently arrived families during the migrant crisis. The Daily News tied it to the city closing emergency housing opened under former Mayor Eric Adams. The Daily News said the overall decline was 10%. It also said the number of students in shelters was still 41% higher than a decade ago. Per the Daily News, the number fell in every borough, with the steepest decline in Manhattan. The Bronx had the highest rate. In Brownsville, Brooklyn, more than 1 in 8 students lived in shelters, roughly triple the citywide rate.

Advocates pointed to school stability problems. NY1 reported that in the 2024-2025 school year, more than 60% of students in shelters were chronically absent and one in five transferred schools mid-year. According to Advocates for Children, 37% of families were placed in a shelter in a different borough from their children's school. The city says it considers the youngest child's school when placing families, but nearby beds are not always available. Jennifer Pringle of Advocates for Children said it takes at least a month, even when everything works, to get a bus to a child's school of origin. The Daily News reported that 1,755 students in temporary housing ended last school year still waiting for bus service. Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the work is "far from over."