Federal COVID Funding Helps School Districts Support Homeless Families – Funds Expire in 2025
The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act funds states based on the proportion of individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and/or an adequate nighttime residence. The act requires that every public school district, county office of education and charter school hire a local liaison to ensure that homeless youth are identified and are provided with the education services they need to succeed academically.
Schools receive extra funding for homeless students from the state through the local control funding formula and some federal funding for homeless education. However, the McKinny-Vento Act has some strict limitations about how the funding can be spent.
That changed in the wake of the pandemic. The American Rescue Plan allocated $800 million aimed specifically to support homeless children and youth. These funds are more flexible than McKinney-Vento education funding, enabling school districts and counties to do things like pay for hotel vouchers for families that have nowhere else to go. The funds also allowed school agencies to do more of the most basic, important work in homeless education – identifying students who need help.
When the federal money was first allocated, educators were optimistic about the funding levels being sustained, but that seems unlikely under this Congress. The California State Legislature seems more amenable to allocating money to homeless education, but a slower economic cycle seems to be dampening enthusiasm for additional state funding.
School House Connection is a national non-profit that provides strategic advocacy and practical assistance in partnership with school districts, students and their families. Their youth storytelling series Hidden Homelessness highlights the often overlooked and unseen experiences that define youth homelessness. To learn more about HomeAid and our mission to help Bay Area residents experiencing homelessness build new lives, please contact Crisand Giles.