Student homelessness increases 10% in California

Student homelessness in California has not only persisted but has intensified, increasing 10% since 2018-19, according to new research released today by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. The number of students experiencing homelessness reached a new peak of 298,254 in the 2024-25 school year.

The new report, "State of Crisis 2026: A Deepening Crisis of Students Experiencing Homelessness Across California," updates the center's 2020 research examining trends in student homelessness across California from school years 2017-18 through 2024-25 using publicly available administrative data from the California Department of Education, including homeless student enrollment, suspension, chronic absenteeism, academic achievement, graduation and college-going indicators.

In addition to detailing the statewide increase in student homelessness, the 2026 report examines trends in student homelessness across regions and student groups and describes how housing instability intersects with academic outcomes, attendance and school engagement.

Among the findings:

• Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students have consistently experienced the highest and fastest-growing rates of homelessness. In 2024-25, approximately 1 in 12 of every Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students in California experienced homelessness. The racial disparities are persistent and have widened over time.
• Students experiencing homelessness are most concentrated in Southern California, with the region containing seven of the 10 school districts with the highest counts of students experiencing homelessness.
• Northern California and the Central Coast contain most of the 10 counties with the highest rates of students experiencing homelessness. Central Coast elementary school districts account for half of the 10 school districts with the highest rates of students experiencing homelessness.
• Students experiencing homelessness continue to lag significantly behind their housed peers across all educational outcomes examined, including chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, academic proficiency, graduation and college-going rates, with most gaps remaining persistent or widening over time. For example, chronic absenteeism was consistently much higher among students experiencing homelessness compared to their housed peers.

"These numbers are particularly concerning given the extensive evidence documenting the harmful effects of housing instability on children's development, health and educational outcomes," said Grace Kim, a research analyst at the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools and the lead author of the report. "The report makes clear that student homelessness is not only a housing issue, but a complex educational and developmental crisis requiring sustained, coordinated public action."

The report's authors underscore state policymakers' recognition of the severity of the issue in California and applaud recent investment by the governor and legislature, including a one-time budget allocation of $116 million to support the identification and educational success of K-12 students experiencing homelessness.

"This new funding is the largest dedicated state funding to prioritize housing-insecure youth in the country," said Joseph Bishop, executive director of the Center for the Transformation of Schools and an author of the report. "We look forward to working with our state's policymakers and educators to ensure that California's most housing-insecure students have an equitable opportunity to succeed. Our hope is that this new research can serve as a roadmap for prevention and systems change."

The report is available online on the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools website.