The COVID-19 pandemic sent Americans and others around the world into lockdown and changed the way many of us work, spend time with family, and live of our lives. While these changes were hard for all of us, youth without stable housing were among the hardest hit during the pandemic. Although many of the long-term effects of lockdowns and virtual schooling won’t be known for years to come, recent data indicates the tremendous struggles facing young people nationwide and in Arizona.

Young adults across the U.S. reported high levels of housing and food insecurity during the pandemic:

1. About 3.8 million had little to no confidence in their (or their household’s) ability to pay the next month’s rent.
   • Among respondents in single adult renting households, Hispanic young adults were about twice as likely, and Black young adults almost three times as likely, as White young adults to have little or no confidence in their ability to pay next month’s rent.
2. About 4.9 million young adults have had too little to eat at a given time during the pandemic.
   • Black young adults reported food insecurity at about twice the rate of their White peers.
3. More than half (54%) of young adults reported symptoms indicative of anxiety or depression during the pandemic. [1]

The hardships that accompany housing and food insecurity led to a drastic drop in enrollment among youth experiencing homelessness. Without a stable place to live, youth had increased difficulty accessing online learning (especially if they lacked a computer or Wi-Fi). The Arizona Department of Education reported enrollment of homeless youth decreased by approximately 35% in the 2020-2021 school year. This decreased enrollment is projected to greatly affect graduation rates for youth experiencing homelessness.

According to recent data from Great Public Schools Now, graduation rates are already falling due to the pandemic. If high school students are not supported to catch up quickly, 43% of the class of 2022, 37% of the class of 2023, and 30% of the class of 2024 will not graduate. This study indicates that over the next four years, tens of thousands of youth are at risk and could potentially not earn their high school diploma. This widespread learning loss disproportionately impacts Black, Latino, low-income students, English learners, students with disabilities, foster youth, and students experiencing homelessness.[2]

This data appears alongside many other recent reports indicating the extreme negative effects the pandemic had on youth experiencing homelessness. In response to these concerning reports, HYC is responding to better support youth experiencing homelessness to stay on track and graduate. In 2021, HYC launched an outreach initiative intended to identify and engage homeless youth who had dropped out of school. HYC youth coaches have worked tirelessly to locate missing youth throughout the Valley, connecting them with needed resources and helping them reenroll in school. As of May 1, 2021, HYC confirmed that 75% of these youth were in safe and stable housing, enrolled in high school, or were reconnected with HYC staff to receive services. Although schools are open for in-person learning and shifting toward recovery from the pandemic, HYC plans to continue applying these expanded and enhanced outreach strategies to best support youth experiencing homelessness affected by the pandemic.

[1] Morton, M. & Daniels, G. (2021). Untold stories: Young adult & racial dimensions of COVID-19. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

[2] Great Public Schools Now. Educational Recovery Now. Great Public Schools Now, 29 Mar. 2021, https://greatpublicschoolsnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EdRecoveryNow_Final_3-29-21.pdf.

Pictured above left to right: Georgia Lord, Mayor of Goodyear, Kate Hopeman, HYC Board Member and former HYC Board President, Larry Williams, RAD Sales and Marketing Director, and Dawn Bogart, Chief Executive Officer at HYC

Homeless Youth Connection (HYC) is appreciative and pleased to announce that Waste Connection/Right Away Disposal (RAD) has presented the organization with a check in the amount of $5,000 to support services and programming for youth experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. HYC received the check on April 20, 2021 at their Transitional Host Home in the City of Goodyear, one of many cities in Arizona where RAD provides services.

“It’s so important to us to forge positive relationships within our communities and give back whenever possible. Homeless Youth Connection is at the top of the list when it comes to giving back,” said Larry Williams, Sales and Marketing Director at RAD. “It truly warms our hearts to contribute to such a meaningful cause that provides a blanket of support and empowers youth to overcome the challenges of homelessness. HYC will continue to receive our support this year and for many more to come.”

This donation is a continuation of RAD’s generous support of the organization, having sponsored the HYC Racing for Hope event in 2018. Their most recent donation will support programming and services provided to hundreds of youth experiencing homelessness throughout the county.

“We are so appreciative of Waste Connection/Right Away Disposal. Their generous support will make a tremendous difference for youth experiencing homelessness who are working hard to graduate, especially after this past year,” said Dawn Bogart, Chief Executive Officer at HYC. “HYC is so grateful for the continued and significant support we receive from the City of Goodyear, its businesses, and residents. This community and companies like RAD are investing in our youth to help them graduate and have a successful and sustainable future.”

About RAD: Established in 2007, Waste Connection/Right Away Disposal is a locally based and operated Waste & Recycling provider. They provide residential, frontload, waste and recycling facility services to many cities throughout Arizona, including the City of Goodyear.

It has been almost a year since COVID-19 began affecting families everywhere, filling homes with anxiety, causing various types of loss and moving schools to virtual learning. In any given year, a reported decrease in the number of homeless students in the United States would be positive news—however, this is worrisome when drastically reduced numbers can be attributed to an inability to identify and enroll these students.

According to a new report from School House Connection there was a 28% decrease in the number of identified homeless students in the fall of 2020 compared to the fall of 2019. If we apply this percentage decrease to the most recent federal student homelessness data (1.5 million homeless students, preK-12), then more than 42,000 homeless students have not been identified, and may not be in school at all, or receiving basic needs and educational support. Without a home and without school, these students are at risk for losses that could last a lifetime and increase their likelihood of experiencing homelessness as adults.

Further, the School House Connection report suggests that this number is likely much larger, as there is significant evidence that public schools were dramatically under-identifying homelessness even before the pandemic. Reports from Arizona high school districts indicate youth enrollment for McKinney-Vento eligible is down by more fifty percent.

“Prior to the pandemic, public schools have been identifying only slightly more than half of high school students experiencing homelessness, meaning that as many as one million students experiencing homelessness have not been receiving services they need, and to which they are entitled under the federal McKinney-Vento Act,” the report states.

Of school liaisons who indicated that homeless student identification was lower this year, the primary reason cited was “inability to identify youth due to distance learning and school building closure.” When school buildings are closed, educators have significantly less in-person communication with students and families, and social distancing protocols further reduce opportunities for noticing signs of homelessness and having confidential conversations about living circumstances. Liaisons also described significant unmet needs in their communities, including lack of internet, housing, food and childcare. Mental health concerns and lack of transportation also were frequently cited as concerns. These unmet needs pose significant challenges to health and well-being, in addition to learning, making it even harder for youth to stay in school.

Learn what HYC is doing to address declining school enrollment.