Syracuse schools report increase in students without housing or guardians
Syracuse school officials reported a rise in students experiencing temporary housing or living without a parent or guardian.
Syracuse City School District officials reported that about 10% of students need services for temporary housing. The district also reported a more than 9% increase in unaccompanied youth over a one-year period.
The district provides support through the federal McKinney-Vento program, including transportation for eligible students who remain within 50 miles and the option to continue attending the same school. In Onondaga County, the Booth House in Syracuse is the only shelter for unaccompanied children ages 12 through 17 and has 15 beds.
A July report from the New York state comptroller said children account for 32% of the state’s homeless population, twice the national rate. Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital reported that more than 60 children were left there in 2025 because there was no appropriate place for them to go, according to testimony cited in the source material.
This story was written from a community submission and reviewed by a ClickNNY editor before publication.