Students Experiencing Homelessness in Idaho

Idaho

Research indicates that homelessness and housing instability can contribute to poor health, especially for children and adolescents. Common health problems among homeless children and youth include:

• Greater likelihood of illness and injury.
• Greater prevalence and severity of chronic conditions.
• Higher rates of sexual and emotional abuse, with associated increases in sexually transmitted infections and unplanned or unwanted pregnancies.
• Higher prevalence of mental health problems and substance abuse.
• Increased risk of poor nutrition and diabetes.

Many homeless children attend school. During the 2022-2023 school year, more than 1.3 million students in the United States were identified by schools as homeless. This represents a 14% increase in homeless students from the year before.

Families with children made up more than 30% of the total homeless population in 2024, with about 57,000 family households experiencing homelessness in a single night. More than 38,000 unaccompanied youth younger than age 25 experienced homelessness that year, 7% of whom were children younger than 18.

According to the National Center for Homeless Education, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic and multiracial students are overrepresented in homelessness compared with Asian and white students. Additional research has found that LGBT youth and those who have experienced family poverty, housing instability, severe family conflict or abuse have a higher risk of homelessness as well.

Addressing student homelessness involves multisector coordination across community organizations and government agencies. Early identification and intervention strategies use cross-system collaboration among child welfare, criminal justice, education and community-based organizations. 

Housing and school partnerships offer a promising approach to ending student homelessness. These partnerships aim to build housing stability for families and increase school attendance among youth. For students experiencing the instability of homelessness, supportive school environments can be a place of safety and security. School meal programs provide daily nutritional support for students experiencing household food insecurity.

Permanent housing solutions and transitional living programs are designed to prevent recurrent homelessness, and long-term supportive solutions like Housing First have proven effective at decreasing homelessness and increasing housing stability. Evidence suggests that the economic benefits of these programs outweigh the costs. 

The National Conference of State Legislatures provides an overview of recent state policy action related to youth homelessness in the areas of education, foster care, juvenile justice, minor consent for services, vital identification records and shelters. The Voices of Youth Count has several recommendations for addressing youth homelessness, including tracking progress, tailoring strategies to high-risk populations and building preventive structures into existing systems.

Healthy People 2030 recognizes the role of safe housing as a social determinant of health and has an objective to reduce the proportion of families that spend more than 30% of their income on housing. 

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has a goal of reducing housing instability among youth and young adults.

Atwell, Matthew N., Eleanor P. Manspile, and John M. Bridgeland. Strategies for Success: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness. Report. Civic, July 2020. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607092.pdf.

Community Preventive Services Task Force. Social Determinants of Health: Permanent Supportive Housing with Housing First (Housing First Programs). CPSTF Finding and Rationale Statement. The Community Guide. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 1, 2019. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/168591.

de Sousa, Tanya, and Meghan Henry. The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, Part 1: Point-In-Time Estimates of Homelessness. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, December 2024. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf.

Jacob, Verughese, Sajal K. Chattopadhyay, Sharon Attipoe-Dorcoo, Yinan Peng, Robert A. Hahn, Ramona Finnie, Jamaicia Cobb, Alison E. Cuellar, Karen M. Emmons, and Patrick L. Remington. “Permanent Supportive Housing With Housing First: Findings From a Community Guide Systematic Economic Review.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 62, no. 3 (March 2022): e188–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.08.009.

Landers, Patrick A. Runaway and Homeless Youth: Demographics and Programs. Congressional Research Service, March 26, 2019. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33785.

Morton, Matthew H., Amy Dworsky, and Gina Miranda Samuels. Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America — National Estimates. Research-to-Impact Brief. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 2018. https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/Voices-of-Youth-Report.pdf.

Student Homelessness in America, School Years 2020-21 to 2022-23. University of North Carolina at Greensboro: National Center for Homeless Education, 2024. https://www.ed.gov/media/document/student-homelessness-america-school-years-2020-21-2022-23-108414.pdf.

Terry, Marisa J., Gurpreet Bedi, and Neil D. Patel. “Healthcare Needs of Homeless Youth in the United States.” Journal of Pediatric Sciences 2 (2010): e17. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/178794.

The Importance of Fostering Positive School Climates for Homeless High School Students. Report. New York, NY: Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness, October 31, 2019. https://www.icph.org/reports/the-importance-of-fostering-positive-school-climates-for-homeless-high-school-students/.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Washington, D.C., December 2022. https://www.usich.gov/sites/default/files/document/All_In.pdf.