For Immediate Release

Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D–Silicon Valley) submitted a 2026-27 state budget request in the California State Assembly to secure dedicated funding to support California students experiencing homelessness. The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) thanks Assemblymember Ahrens for his support in advocating for this critical funding, which could ensure that California’s most vulnerable students have access to the stable supports and services they need to stay in school and succeed.

“Students experiencing homelessness are resilient, but they shouldn’t have to overcome these barriers alone,” said Paige Clark, a Senior Program Manager at NCYL. “We’re deeply grateful to Assemblymember Ahrens for championing dedicated funding that will help schools meet the urgent needs of these students and give them the stability every child deserves.”

During the 2024-25 school year, nearly 300,000 public school students across California were identified as experiencing homelessness, including students living in shelters, cars, motels, or temporarily doubled up with other families. These students face enormous barriers to learning, from frequent school moves and transportation challenges to lack of basic necessities like food, school supplies, and safe places to study.

Despite housing insecurity continuing to grow amid climate disasters and other factors, the latest California State Budget proposal released in January does not include dedicated funding for students experiencing homelessness.

Dedicated state funding would help school districts provide essential supports for students, including transportation assistance, case management, and connections to housing and community services that have been proven to help keep students enrolled and engaged in school.

Assemblymember Ahrens brings a deeply personal understanding to this issue. He has spoken openly about his own childhood experiences with housing instability and made supporting vulnerable youth and families a key focus of his work in the State Legislature.

“California students experiencing homelessness struggle significantly with lower academic achievement, higher rates of chronic absenteeism, and reduced likelihood of graduation,” said Assemblymember Ahrens. “To stop the cycle of homelessness and prevent negative outcomes in adulthood, we must help stabilize housing for our most vulnerable students. Without targeted intervention, today’s homeless children likely become tomorrow’s chronically homeless adults.”

California must take stronger action to ensure students experiencing homelessness receive consistent support. While federal programs such as the McKinney-Vento Act provide some assistance, funding remains limited and inconsistent, leaving many school districts without the necessary resources to meet growing needs.

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The National Center for Youth Law centers youth through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation’s approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every child thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.