ERIC Number: ED614809
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 72
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
The Educational Implications of Homelessness and Housing Instability in Detroit
Erb-Downward, Jennifer; Cooney, Patrick; Blakeslee, Michael; Nothaft, Amanda; Merchant, Safiya; Evangelist, Michael; Peterson, Natalie
Poverty Solutions, University of Michigan
Detroit has a long and complicated history with housing instability, and obtaining safe and stable housing is a significant challenge, particularly for low-income residents. For many renters, housing quality is poor, rents are high, and eviction is common. In 2017, 16% of households with children in Detroit reported being either evicted or forced to move within the last year, which meets the educational definition of homelessness. That same year, only 2% of children in Detroit were identified by their school as homeless. This under identification deprives Detroit's children of their legal rights to an equal education and leaves educators and schools without critical information about the barriers that a child and their family may be experiencing. For owners, property taxes and home repair costs threaten housing stability. There are too few housing vouchers in the system to serve all those in need, and properties developed through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), the primary mechanism for developing low-income housing, are often not affordable to very low-income households. Aggravating all of these factors, for all the talk of Detroit's oversupply of housing, recent analyses show there are actually too few habitable structures in the city to house all Detroit residents. This level of housing instability is an educational issue impacting thousands of children and families in Detroit. This report is to provide stakeholders with the information needed to better understand the educational implications of widespread housing instability in Detroit as well as why identification and support for students who have experienced homelessness is critical. [Additional funding for this report by the McGregor Fund.]
Descriptors: Homeless People, Housing, Low Income Groups, Children, Childrens Rights, Equal Education, Barriers, Taxes, Costs, Housing Needs, Public Housing, Tax Credits, Federal Legislation, Geographic Location, Student Needs, African American Students, Disproportionate Representation, Racial Differences, School Role, Attendance, Instructional Program Divisions, Discipline, Suspension, Expulsion, Graduation Rate, Dropout Rate, Public Schools, Charter Schools, At Risk Students, Student Mobility, Trauma, Student Characteristics, Welfare Services, Foster Care, Family Programs, Federal Programs
Poverty Solutions, University of Michigan. Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Suite 5100, 735 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. e-mail: povertysolutions@umich.edu; Web site: https://poverty.umich.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Policymakers; Administrators; Teachers; Community
Language: English
Sponsor: Skillman Foundation
Authoring Institution: University of Michigan, Poverty Solutions
Identifiers - Location: Michigan (Detroit)
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act 1987; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A