San Jose Spotlight reports the East Side Union High School District has approximately 900 unhoused students, compared to 300 in 2020. Officials said the number continues to climb and cite inflation, cost of living increases and the rollback of COVID-19 pandemic renter protections as the key culprits.
The number of homeless students in the district is projected to reach about 1,000 by the end of the year, district spokesperson Sergio Diaz Luna said.
Peter Allen, communications coordinator with the East Side Education Foundation, said the number of homeless students is spiking because the definition of homeless has expanded to include not only students living on the street, but in vehicles, having three families sharing a two-bedroom apartment or couch surfing.
He said more students are willing to self-identify and the school district has gotten better at identifying students in need.
The school district and foundation are working together to support the rising needs of students.
The foundation serves as the fiscal agent for the East Side Union High School District's McKinney-Vento Program, which provides direct support and services to students experiencing homelessness to ensure their academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs are met. The program provides warm clothes and gift cards to unhoused students during the holiday season.
