Students Navigating Housing Instability - A Summary of Three Research Briefs

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Fahsai

Summarizes three Oregon education research briefs on students navigating housing instability (SNHI) and the educational impacts of lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Establishes prevalence, including an estimated annual formal identification of about 21,000 students and additional undetected students within public systems. Compares demographics and disparities, reviews attendance and graduation outcomes, analyzes effects of prior life stressors around formal identification, and documents supports and barriers reported by McKinney-Vento liaisons and district staff.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Students Navigating Housing Instability: A Summary of Three Research Briefs

Brief 1: Education Overview

Brief 2: Longitudinal Impact of Prior Life Stressors

Brief 3: Supports, Barriers, and Staff Perspectives

Students Navigating Housing Instability: A Summary of Three Research Briefs Summary: Students Navigating Housing Instability Series Housing instability, defined as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, has been a persistent and pervasive crisis across the country, and Oregon is no exception. The lack of affordable housing, compounded by the pandemic, wildfires, increased cost of living, and other social and political issues has resulted in Oregon having the highest rate of families with children and unaccompanied youth navigating housing instability in the nation and the second highest rate of houselessness overall.1,2 The large number of children in unstable housing is of considerable concern as houselessness and its associated conditions have been found to negatively impact individuals’ social, psychological, and physical In a series of three research briefs, ODE researchers explored the issue of Oregon students navigating housing instability (SNHI) in depth. Brief 1 presents an educational overview addressing the identification of students navigating housing instability, prevalence rates across the state, student demographics and disparities, and educational outcomes. In Brief 2, longitudinal data from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) was used to examine students’ experiences prior to, and after, the formal identification of houselessness in order to shed light on the educational impact of prior life stressors in relation to formal identification, service provision, and subsequent education outcomes. And development. In addition, the lack of stable housing is known to adversely affect children’s education experience and attainment. in Brief 3, McKinney-Vento liaisons across the state completed surveys, and school and district staff from selected districts were interviewed, in order to provide a more detailed look at the supports provided to students and families navigating housing instability, and the challenges and barriers staff faced in finding and providing services and supports. 1 1 Hayden, N. (2023) .“Oregon has the highest rate of homeless families in the country.” The Oregonian. 2 The terms “students navigating housing instability” and “houseless” are used synonymously throughout this document. Summary Authors: Tom George, Alesia Valdez, Office of Education Innovation and Improvement Brief 1. Students Navigating Housing Instability: Education Overview3 Authors: Isabella Jacoby, Marisa Molnar, Alesia Valdez Although the overall population of SNHI varies from year to year, typically around 21,000 students in Oregon are formally identified in any given year as lacking “a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,” representing approximately 3% of all students.4 In addition, more than one in ten students (10 .6% in 2022-23) navigated housing instability at some point during their education. These numbers likely underestimate the true scope of the problem as they only reflect students who are enrolled in the public education system and are identified by education staff.5 Of the four types of residences considered to be unstable, doubled up housing (or shared housing with others) represented by far the most common form of housing instability experienced by students, accounting for 71% -77% of the houseless student population from 2016-17 through 2022-23. Figure 1: Doubled Up, Still the Most Common Nighttime Residence Type, is Decreasing in Prevalence PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS NAVIGATING HOUSING INSTABILITY REPORTING EACH TYPE OF NIGHTTIME RESIDENCE An examination of the demographics of SNHI indicated significant disparities across a number of focal student groups,6 including racial and ethnic disparities, and disparities for students navigating foster care, students with an experience of incarceration or detention, recent arrivers, migrants, and emerging bilingual students. In addition, students navigating housing instability were prevalent throughout the sta

FAQs

How is housing instability (SNHI) defined in the document?

Housing instability is defined as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The document also notes that “students navigating housing instability” and “houseless” are used synonymously throughout.

What does the document report about how many Oregon students are identified as SNHI?

Typically around 21,000 Oregon students are formally identified each year as SNHI, representing approximately 3% of all students. It also reports that more than one in ten students navigated housing instability at some point during their education.

What educational outcomes and barriers are highlighted across the three briefs?

Brief 1 addresses attendance and performance measures, showing lower regular school attendance and lower likelihood of being on-track to graduate. Brief 3 details supports provided and the challenges staff face in finding and delivering services for students and families.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Fahsai