Homeless Children in Alabama Public Schools Hits Record High

On this week’s Thrift Urban Housing Blog I will be discussing the news that record numbers of homeless children and youth were reported in Alabama public schools in 2012 – 13. Although Thrift Urban Housing is limited to the London area, I like to show a wider interest in news that relates to what Thrift Urban deal with.

68% Increase on Previous Year

The US Department of Education released data that shows a 68 per cent increase of homeless students enrolling for Alabama preschools and K-12 schools, the figure stands at 29,749. These figures highlight a growing problem with homeless students in US schools. 

The bigger pictures shows a staggering 1,258,182 students in 34 states are homeless. These states as well as Washington D.C. showed a yearly increase in the numbers of homeless students. Such was the increase in homelessness in Alabama that it actually overtook the rate of increase for the nation.

Children Not Recognised as Homeless

Perhaps one of the more concerning aspects that we have learned from this data is the fact that the US Department of Housing & Urban Development do not recognise 85 per cent of the Alabama children included in the data as being homeless. Instead it prioritises homeless single adults, which may go some distance to explain who the numbers have risen to such heights.

This means that only 13,979 of the 29,749 are eligible for educational assistance through their local schools, but that does not include HUD services such as shelter, temporary housing or assistance. It would seem then, that there is a significant problem with classification and definition of homelessness.

This is perhaps what drew my attention to this article. A homeless child is a homeless child regardless of a criteria or definition and that applies to any age group in fact. It is hard to believe that a developed Western nation as large as the US or the UK could have these problems. Where the privilege of education is lost on children whose emotional health and safety is damaged by homelessness.

Furthermore, the data only accounts for homeless children who have actually enrolled for schools, it does not account for those who haven’t or children who are younger than the age for enrolment, so the figures will likely be much higher than the data suggests.

Thrift Urban Housing

Thrift Urban Housing is a housing charity that supports less privileged people who are in need; people who are capable of taking care of themselves but need solid support in doing so.

These are the kind of situations that a charity like Thrift Urban Housing could really help with. 

If anything it outlines Thrift Urban’s mantra; to help people who can help themselves but need a push in the right direction. We can only assume that many of these homeless children have been let down by the people who should be protecting them, but they are not helpless.