Student homelessness climbs sharply across Los Angeles County, UCLA study shows

Between school years 2022-23 and 2023-24, student homelessness rose 30% among K-12 students in Los Angeles County, according to a new analysis by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools.

An estimated 61,249 students experienced homelessness in the county during the 2023-24 school year. The rate of student homelessness in the county significantly exceeds the percentage of student homelessness in California, which saw a 16% increase between 2022-23 and 2023-24, according to the California Department of Education.

"Los Angeles County is facing a rapid escalation in youth homelessness," said Mayra Cazares-Minero, a research analyst at the UCLA center and an author of one of the new research briefs. "A shortage of housing, economic instability and other barriers is making access to housing more difficult, just as important temporary funding streams and policies supporting access to housing are expiring."

One of the two research briefs "Rising Numbers, Fading Resources: Students Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County," is an analysis of data on student homelessness released last year by the California Department of Education and provides a more detailed look at student homelessness in the state and across LA County. In doing so, the paper details higher rates of homelessness among Latino and Black youth, as well as across grade levels. The study also examines other population characteristics, taking into account English language learners, migrants and those with disabilities.

Homeless students also experience higher rates of chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates and lower achievement on mathematics and English testing.

Among the key findings:

• Latino students are disproportionately likely to experience homelessness. In the 2023-24 school year, 3 of every 4 students experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County were Latino.
• Almost 12% were of students experiencing homelessness in LA County in 2023-24 were Black. That number is marginally higher that than the average statewide but substantially lower than the national proportion of Black students experiencing homelessness (25%) recorded in during the 2022-23 school year.
• In the 2023-24 school year, students classified as English language learners represented 34% of students experiencing homelessness in LA County.
• Chronic absenteeism affected over a third of students experiencing homelessness in LA County (37.2%) and California (36.3%), significantly higher than the chronic absenteeism rates among the general student population.

The research brief also identifies the 10 school districts in LA County with the highest rates of student homelessness. Norwalk-La Mirada Elementary School District reports nearly 1 in 3 students unhoused. And 3 of the 5 districts with the highest homelessness rates (Wilsonia Unified, Rowland Unified and Mountain View Elementary) are in the San Gabriel Valley.

An additional study, "Hidden in Plain Sight: Fear, Underidentification, and Funding Gaps for Housing-Insecure Students in Los Angeles County," explores the perspectives of staff who are charged with supporting the educational success of students experiencing homelessness in six LA County school districts and the LA County Office of Education, providing timely insights into the effectiveness and shortcomings of current systems during a period of rising student homelessness in the region. The qualitative study draws on interviews with school-based homelessness liaisons and county officials across districts to examine identification practices, service barriers and data systems.

Findings show major challenges in accurately identifying students due to inconsistent, subjective processes. Many families avoid self-identification because of stigma, fear of child welfare or immigration consequences or because of confusion about eligibility. Fragmented data systems further hinder verification and coordination, while inadequate federal funding forces reliance on unstable grants and donations.

"The concentration of student homelessness in specific regions - particularly in the east and San Gabriel Valley - suggests that homelessness is not evenly distributed across Los Angeles County and is shaped by localized factors such as housing costs, community disinvestment and service gaps," said Joseph Bishop, executive director of the Center for the Transformation of Schools and an author of the research. "Deeper county and district-level analyses are needed to better understand the scope of the crisis and design targeted, effective responses.

"On a larger scale it is unclear how California - or the nation as a whole - will continue to support students experiencing homelessness, especially as numbers continue to rise while funding and focus is fading," Bishop added. "It is essential that California and Los Angeles County take urgent, coordinated action to address homelessness among youth."

Both studies offer specific recommendations that outline targeted strategies for state, county, and district leaders to strengthen identification, expand supports and reduce systemic barriers for these students.

Among other actions, the authors urge sustained, targeted investments in housing supports, expansion of McKinney-Vento services and district-level programs that improve attendance, stability and academic outcomes.

"Strengthening trauma-informed identification, integrating data systems, stabilizing funding for direct supports and formalizing cross-sector partnerships are critical to improving outcomes for unhoused students," said Adriana Jaramillo Castillo, a research analyst at the center and a lead author of the research.

Both studies with recommendations are available on the Center for the Transformation of Schools website.