Housing instability, often invisible to schools until it begins to disrupt attendance, learning or mental health, is a growing challenge for families with school-age children, according to new research. A recent policy scan led by USC Rossier Professor Huriya Jabbar , Harmonizing Systems to Reduce Eviction and Homelessness: An Environmental Scan of Innovative School-Housing Partnerships , examined how education systems and housing agencies across the country are working together to support students whose families face eviction, displacement or unaffordable housing—and where critical gaps remain.
Key findings:
- Housing instability often surfaces in schools only after learning is disrupted, through absences, midyear moves or academic and mental health challenges.
- Most school-based supports respond after homelessness occurs, leaving families at risk of eviction without early, preventive assistance.
- Upstream housing policies, such as rental assistance and eviction prevention, can reduce school disruption by stabilizing families before displacement.
- Cross-sector school-housing partnerships show promise but face funding and research gaps, limiting their sustainability and scalability.
"A large majority of households that experience eviction are households with children," Jabbar said. "Many of those children are school-age, and research consistently shows that eviction has long-term negative consequences for students' academic outcomes, attendance and overall well-being."
Schools are often unaware of what students are experiencing at home. Families facing housing instability may move mid-year, miss school or struggle with stress and financial hardship long before educators are aware of a housing crisis. As a result, schools tend to see the consequences—absences, learning loss, mental health challenges—rather than the underlying cause.
The USC Rossier-led study, with researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and University of California, Los Angeles, reviewed school-housing partnerships and policies nationwide. Researchers conducted a scan of existing policies that school districts, localities, states and federal government agencies have taken and incorporated informational interviews in their research methods. "First, we conducted a comprehensive search of published information, including peer-reviewed literature, gray literature, news reports and relevant websites including policy centers and national and state agencies," said UT Austin Professor Jennifer Jellison Holme . "Second, we interviewed key informants formally and informally at the national and state levels." The study found that most existing efforts focus on students who are already experiencing homelessness, often through McKinney-Vento–related supports. While those programs are essential, Jabbar argues they come too late for many families.
"One of our key findings is that we need more upstream interventions," Jabbar said. "Policies that support families who are at risk of eviction, but not yet displaced, might help prevent instability before it disrupts children's education."
The report highlights a range of promising approaches, from rental assistance programs and eviction prevention policies to data-sharing agreements that allow agencies to better identify and support at-risk families. Some policies, such as city-wide bans on evictions during the school year, require minimal coordination with school systems yet significantly reduce educational disruption. Others involve deeper collaboration, embedding housing counselors, tutoring and wraparound services within schools.
Researchers were encouraged by the number of innovative efforts underway, but also concerned about their fragility. Many programs were launched with pandemic-era funding and are now at risk as those resources expire.
"Despite doing really innovative work, many of these programs are uncertain about whether they can continue," said UCLA Professor Ann Owens . "That makes sustainability a major concern."
Another key gap identified in the study is the lack of rigorous research evaluating these initiatives. While the logic behind housing stability as a support for student success is intuitive, there is limited empirical evidence linking specific housing interventions to educational outcomes.
"We need both quantitative and qualitative research," Jabbar said. "That includes linking housing and education data to understand impacts on attendance and learning, as well as studying families' experiences navigating these systems."
The report calls on policymakers, school leaders and researchers to invest in prevention-focused housing policies, strengthen cross-sector collaboration and build the data infrastructure needed to evaluate what works and for whom. By showcasing diverse models from across the country, the researchers hope to inspire education and housing leaders to adapt solutions to their local contexts and to recognize housing stability as a foundational condition for student success.
The goal of the study was to bring more awareness to school-housing instability and for researchers to continue examining the issues. "This is a national problem," Jabbar said. "Housing costs are at an all-time high, and families, particularly those from marginalized communities, are increasingly vulnerable to displacement. Schools cannot solve the housing crisis alone, but there are powerful opportunities to better align housing and education systems in ways that protect students."
The complete study: Harmonizing Systems to Reduce Eviction and Homelessness: An Environmental Scan of Innovative School-Housing Partnerships
