Analysis of Student Homelessness in Washington State (March 2013)
Crisis hits all corners of Washington State: 1 in 38 students are homeless, according to a recently released report by Columbia Legal Services.
During the 2011-12 school year, 27,390 students in Washington schools were identified as homeless—a 5% increase from the previous school year and a 63% increase from 2006-07. Columbia Legal Services (CLS) conducted an analysis of student homelessness trends over the past six years using publicly accessible data. CLS hopes this updated analysis will help the community understand the crisis affecting Washington’s youngest residents.
Recent Updates
See our new fact sheets: Statewide Homeless Student Data and Seattle-King County Homeless Student Data.
Please check out the materials from the McKinney-Vento ESD Connections Regional Networking Forum
Who We Are
SchoolHouse provides Washington State school districts, liaisons, and community advocates with readily accessible information on the educational needs of students experiencing homelessness. Districts and local educational liaisons should use SchoolHouse to help make plans about the best way to serve homeless and at-risk students and their families. The SchoolHouse website presents a set of best practices carefully gathered from all around the nation. In addition it serves as a meeting point where district representatives and liaisons can collaborate to develop effective services and policies to improve the lives of children and families. SchoolHouseWA is a project of Columbia Legal Services.
Over 27,000 students in Washington State are homeless. Of the 242,000 children living in poverty in Washington, one out of every ten (10%) is homeless (American Community Survey 2006), and this number likely fails to include thousands of students. Schools are often the first place where a professional identifies a family as homeless or on the verge of homelessness. Thus, it is critical for schools to properly identify homeless students and families as access to education is crucial in providing homeless students with a source of stability in their otherwise chaotic lives. Educators can rely on SchoolHouse for guidance on the identification, enrollment, and services of homeless children in Washington. Furthermore, educators should use SchoolHouse to understand their vital role of working in schools and with communities to identify all children in need.
