A new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan estimates as many as 15,565 Michigan children, infants to age 4, are homeless. That estimate is 159 percent higher than what’s reported in the shelter system.

Researchers share that the difference in numbers comes from differing definitions of homelessness; the larger figure in the report includes children who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, not just those in shelters. Therefore, we may have more children experiencing homelessness than was previously understood.

The report examines the issues at play for Michigan’s littlest learners.

The authors state that “trauma such as homelessness can change the makeup of a developing brain, leading to lifelong educational implications before a child even starts school,” with the achievement gap seen in high school “already observable in children as young as 9 months old.”

Data at a glance:

• It’s estimated that 4 out of every 5 children who are experiencing homelessness are not enrolled in an early childhood program.

• Of children experiencing homelessness in preschool, 54 percent present with a major developmental delay.

• By 17, half of children who were at one point homeless have repeated at least one grade.

• Nearly half of school age children in Michigan who are experiencing homelessness were chronically absent last school year, compared with 19 percent of students who have housing.

• The three Michigan counties with the highest percentages of young children experiencing homelessness – Alger, Lake and Arenac – are all considered rural counties.

The report provides policy recommendations to support children from their early years and set them up for success in school and beyond.

Highlights of recommendations include:

• Adequate data collection: Create a unified database that captures families’ housing situations through more than just the shelter system and connect it to several state agencies, school districts, childcare centers, hospitals and more.

• Coordination of services: Engage a care system with a two-generational approach that includes food banks, shelters, housing service agencies, early childhood education and care providers, and organizations that offer physical and mental health services.

• Early childhood education opportunities: Lawmakers should ensure families facing homelessness are identified and prioritized for enrollment in the Great Start Readiness Program and other initiatives.

• Housing discrimination: While the Housing Choice Voucher program subsidizes rent costs for low-income families, recipients may face discrimination from landlords who can choose not to accept the vouchers. Lawmakers should support legislation that makes it illegal for landlords to reject tenants based on their income source.

“If we’re going to adequately address the issue of homelessness among young children, we first need a complete picture,” Jennifer Erb-Downward, senior research associate for Poverty Solutions said. “Right now, it is easy for kids to slip through the cracks and go un-identified because we have no unified system of support and we rely on reporting from a variety of organizations. The state needs a unified database—one that examines inequities based on race and ethnicity—in order for us to truly develop and fund resources to save kids.” 

Want more?

Read the full report.