Living Arrangement of Students Experiencing Homelessness, School District of Phila (SDP), School Year 2022-23
Those living double up increasing
The above charts were created using data from the recently released report “Education of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness in the School District of Philadelphia, Analysis of 2022-23 Data.” Read the report here.
Its amazing the percentage of students living doubled up increased. It might be affected by the City of Philadelphia’s closing of emergency and transitional housing for families as they assert that family homelessness is decreasing and have taken offline those beds and units. However, there were more identified students in shelter in School Year (SY) 2023 than in SY 2022.
There needs to be a public discussion with the School District’s data and homeless education staff to fully understand what might be happening.
As mentioned on these pages previously, strategies to serve children experiencing homelessness need to focus attend to the double up population rather than focus predominately on the shelter system.
We know families and children experiencing homelessness can be found in food cupboards, faith-based agencies, childcare centers, Head Start/Early Head Start, recreation centers, libraries and other community-based locations - why not seek them out there?
Reactions? Thoughts?