For Immediate Release

SACRAMENTO — Nearly 300,000 students in California experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, a staggering figure that’s likely an undercount. In 2025, the number of students experiencing homelessness surged 9% above pre-pandemic levels, yet the state has no dedicated funding source to support these vulnerable youth, even as federal funds run out.

Amid this rising homelessness crisis, which is exacerbated by climate disasters, the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) is calling on state lawmakers to invest dedicated Proposition 98 funding to expand and stabilize services that help students experiencing homelessness attend school consistently and graduate. These funds are vitally needed, particularly as federal funding remains inconsistent and is facing severe cuts. 

Services supported by dedicated funding would include improved identification methods and education liaisons to help keep students on track. Currently, students experiencing homelessness graduate at significantly lower rates than their peers (76 percent compared to 88 percent) and also experience elevated rates of chronic absenteeism. Two of the strongest predictors of chronic adult homelessness are not having a high school diploma and experiencing homelessness as a child.

“Through NCYL’s work with school districts, advocates, and directly impacted youth across California, we’ve seen how targeted funding translates into improved outcomes, like higher attendance, stronger connections to school, and improved graduation rates,” said Paige Clark, a Senior Program and Policy Manager at NCYL. “This recommended investment gives schools the tools to identify students experiencing homelessness earlier and respond with the specialized supports that we know improve young people’s educational experiences, as well as their lives after graduation.”

California’s ongoing housing crisis, combined with an increase in both the number and scale of wildfires, has helped fuel a catastrophe for students across the state. According to data from Child Trends, in 2024, 59 percent of school districts in California were likely under-identifying students experiencing homelessness. Additionally, the percentage of students in California experiencing homelessness increased from 3.6 percent in 2024 to 4 percent in 2025.

Current funding is wholly inadequate. California receives just $14 million annually in federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) funding, which reaches only 97 of the state’s 1,015 school districts. Merely 39% of California’s K-12 students attend school in districts that receive this funding, leaving the majority of students in districts where these supports are unfunded or potentially unavailable should a student become homeless. This federal funding is under threat of being reduced or eliminated, which, along with cuts to other federal safety nets like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will only worsen the problem. Amid these federal fluctuations, California provides no state-level funding, and districts typically spend less than 1% of Local Control Funding Formula dollars on services for students experiencing homelessness.

NCYL’s pilot program in Monterey offers a powerful model of how targeted, well-resourced interventions can improve educational outcomes for students experiencing homelessness. Implemented in partnership with Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, the model placed education liaisons directly within schools to provide individualized advocacy, intensive case management, and connect students to academic, social, and basic supports, spanning everything from developing educational goals to assistance with post-secondary planning. The program led to measurable gains, including higher graduation rates and meaningful progress toward academic and life goals, with nearly all seniors supported through the program completing high school and moving on to college or vocational pathways. 

California also experienced gains after receiving nearly $99 million in 2021 through a federal pandemic relief program designed to support students experiencing homelessness. This one-time funding allowed some districts to provide students the stability and wraparound services they needed, leading to a 5% reduction in chronic absenteeism, and a 3% jump in graduation rates, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

NCYL urges the California Legislature to invest in young people in the upcoming state budget and to ensure that the state’s most vulnerable students receive the support they need to thrive.

“California can make a modest investment today that will have an immeasurable impact on young people across the state,” said Clark, with NCYL. “No student should fall through the cracks simply because they don’t have a stable place to sleep.”