Ep. 10: Student Homelessness in a City of Riches
“We should be investing in children. We should be investing in education. And this mayor is failing to prioritize children and families in this moment.”
By Janina Guballa
Janina Guballa reported this story as a junior at the Academy of American Studies in Queens.
When you think about New York City, what do you think of? Wall Street? Fancy business ventures? The place where dreams come true? That’s certainly how I thought of it when I moved here from the Philippines at age seven.
But there’s another side to the city.
In 2021, about 1 in 10 public school students experienced some type of homelessness. That’s around 100,000 children. Quite surprising for the financial capital of the world.
In the city of billionaires and luxury brands, how could so many not have access to something as basic and foundational to life as stable housing?
“Last year there were 29,000 kids who were in a shelter at some point. There’s no way that 100 people can meaningfully work with that many kids.”
I wanted to understand this issue on a deeper level. From school budgeting to housing subsidies, this episode dives into the multifaceted issue of student homelessness and what they city should do to support these vulnerable young people and their families.
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