Newsom’s budget proposal must include needed support for homeless California students | Opinion

After dismantling homeless encampments across California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has now abandoned crucial programs for youth facing homelessness. In his new budget proposal, the governor failed to restore funding for the most vulnerable among our growing homeless population: students. Because education is one of the strongest interventions against chronic homelessness, Newsom’s failure delivers a double blow, denying immediate support to students experiencing homelessness or involvement in foster care or the juvenile justice system while also undermining a proven strategy to prevent future homelessness.

California’s crisis is staggering. In 2022-23, 246,480 K-12 students in California lacked a fixed and adequate nighttime residence —roughly 20% of the national total. This includes children and teens living on the street or in encampments, as well as those couch surfing, living in vehicles or staying in motels, who are likely to be undercounted. Homeless youth have higher rates of chronic absenteeism and suspension than their peers, making them substantially less likely to graduate and twice as likely to drop out. The evidence is clear: Students who don’t graduate high school are 3.5 times more likely to experience homelessness as adults.

Without intervention, the cycle continues.

Federal legislation under the McKinney-Vento Act of 1987 protects the rights of students experiencing homelessness to attend public schools. Yet severe underfunding means this supports reaches only 36% of eligible students. A single $14.5 million federal grant funds these programs statewide — a negligible $79 per homeless student. At a time when all federal funding and infrastructure are in serious danger, it is even more critical to establish state programs for students facing homelessness and housing insecurity, including those in foster care, migrant families and other vulnerable populations.

For a brief moment, California stepped up. In 2022, the state allocated $100 million in federal American Rescue Plan grants to school districts in support of students experiencing homelessness. This nearly seven-fold increase in funding fueled innovations focused on community engagement, comprehensive wraparound services and housing. Yet September 30, 2024, marked the end of this federal grant funding. Without meaningful commitments from state leaders, this progress could evaporate overnight.

We know that lasting change requires investment. Education leaders and a coalition led by the National Center for Youth Law have called on the state to match — if not exceed — the remaining $14.5 million federal grant to build dedicated support for homeless students.

The governor’s 2025-26 budget, however, commits to nothing. Newsom had a clear opportunity to act without increasing the budget deficit. In addition to funding, he could have better targeted existing programs, ensuring that newly refunded community school partnership grants explicitly serve the needs of homeless students.

Students facing homelessness are the only “special population” that must self-identify to access support. Surely, California can do better by improving identification and expanding tailored academic supports, such as career and technical education. We must also prioritize closer alignment with city and regional services, including transportation — an especially critical need for homeless students.

Without urgent action, state leaders are on track to dismantle three years of progress, leaving vulnerable students out in the cold. If we commit long-term funding and more aligned strategies to students experiencing homelessness or involvement in foster care or the juvenile justice system, California can end the cycle of homelessness where it begins.