DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – About 7% of students at Detroit Public Schools Community District are considered homeless by the district.

Detroit Public Schools Community District identified 218 students as being “unaccompanied” and 3,207 as being homeless. The data from the district is as of March 4, 2025. The district had 49,038 students in 2024-25.

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The district has an Office of Homeless and Foster Care that works with homeless students and their families.

During school hours, the school district responds to calls from its Homeless Office to transport homeless students and their families to shelters or another designated safe place. When school ids closed, the district works with families to find shelter.

Wayne State University conducted a study in 2023 that claimed that Detroit schools undercounted the number of students who were homeless. That study found that between 11% to 16% of Detroit students faced homelessness or housing instability in 2021-22 but 75% of those students were not identified as being homeless by their schools. Part of the problem, the study stated, was that parents hid their issue in fear of the stigma for their children and other negative consequences if their housing situation was revealed. In 2021-22, the district reported 4% of their students were homeless.

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires public school districts to identify homeless students and ensure they are aware of the resources available for them.