When the pandemic first landed in Washtenaw County, staff from Ozone House and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) went to work helping ensure that students had laptops and internet access to meet the new demands of remote learning. Our case managers became door to door delivery drivers to make sure that students and their families had face masks, household cleaning supplies and food.
When students returned back to school for in-person instruction this fall, we saw a spike in referrals from teachers, counselors and school administrators requesting support for their students who were experiencing homelessness or housing instability. There were over 100 referrals in the first 3 weeks of school alone. Some students being referred were returning from receiving support in years past, but most were new families and students. Many of these young people have been experiencing these challenges unseen by school staff for some time due to the pandemic and the limits of online schooling. The numbers of young people in need are likely even higher than what is demonstrated by referrals. Many families who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability are left uncounted due to the stigma surrounding homelessness. Families are afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled negatively, mistreated and not taken seriously.
Jessica Fonville works at the center of these challenges. Jessica is Ozone House’s Education Project Manager who oversees The Education Project partnership with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. The Education Project ensures that students affected by homelessness enroll, attend, and succeed in school. This project is designed to make sure that students experiencing homelessness or unstable living situations enroll, regularly attend and succeed in school. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, students who are experiencing homelessness and housing instability must have equal access to free and appropriate public education. The Education Projects work to put this act into action in Washtenaw County.
In 2020, 29% of LGBTQ+ youth experienced homelessness, were kicked out, or ran away from home.
The 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health from The Trevor Project
During the school year, The Education Project aims to serve more than 800 students throughout Washtenaw County from all 9 school districts and 9 public school academies. The number of referrals for services decreased last year when students were attending school virtually, due to a lack of interaction and connection to fully assess family situations. When school staff didn’t have eyes on kids directly every day, it was harder to identify families in need. Further, across the country many students were not enrolled or participating in school last year. Schools simply were not able to keep track of many students.
The beginning of any school year is always a busy time and this year program staff are still playing catch up from last year’s challenges. There have been staffing shortages in the schools, including bus drives and other positions. Most schools are not able to use volunteers to coordinate donations for families. Additionally, families are experiencing difficulties finding housing. Shelters are full and even families that have vouchers are struggling to find homes that qualify. The stock of housing units that meets the qualifications for vouchers is limited and not sufficient to meet demand. This means that families remain unhoused, which increases the demand for intensive case management and other program services.
We know that the toll this pandemic has taken on students via learning loss, isolation, and unseen trauma will not be fixed overnight. That is why we are committed to supporting the needs of these resilient young people beyond graduation. Our programs and services extend beyond K-12 students, to provide support for young adults navigating employment, higher education, and living on their own.