Rising Numbers, Fading Resources: Students Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County

1. Between school years 2022–23 and 2023–24, student homelessness rose nearly 30 percent (28.4%) in L.A. County, surpassing California and national numbers.
2. Latine students are disproportionately likely to experience homelessness.
3. One in three students experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County are in high school.
4. English Learner students are overrepresented among homeless youth in Los Angeles County and California, outpacing U.S. rates.
5. In SY 2023–24, Los Angeles County school districts with the highest proportions of students experiencing homelessness reported student homelessness rates 2–6× higher than California’s statewide average.
6. Latine students are overrepresented among students experiencing homelessness in eight Los Angeles school districts with the highest homelessness rates.
7. English Learners comprised up to half of students experiencing homelessness in San Gabriel Valley school districts with the highest homelessness rates.
8. Chronic absenteeism affects over a third of students experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County and California.
9. Students in high-homelessness districts experience greater school instability than county and state peers.
10. Most districts with the highest rates of student homelessness report lower dropout rates than the county and state.
11. High-homelessness districts outperform county and state peers experiencing homelessness in Math and ELA, but lag compared to all enrolled county and state peers.

Federal & State-Level:

• Sustain and expand funding for McKinney-Vento, ARP-HCY (American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth), EHCY (Education for Homeless Children and Youth), and other homeless education sources.
• Policymakers and the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) should strengthen collaboration between districts and charter schools to align identification practices, share data, and coordinate services for unhoused students.
• Support training for district staff to effectively identify and serve unhoused students, maximizing the impact of federal and state investments.
• Develop policies to reduce barriers for Latine and English Learner students.
• Implement early identification and prevention strategies for at-risk students.
• Standardize data collection on homelessness, absenteeism, mobility, and academic outcomes.

County-Level:

• Target resources to high-need regions (East region, San Gabriel Valley, Antelope Valley).
• Coordinate with housing, social services, and community organizations.
• Implement early-warning systems for chronic absenteeism and mobility.
• Expand supports for Latine and English Learner students, including bilingual staff, translation services, and culturally responsive family engagement.