Nowhere to go: Idaho’s Homeless Families and Youth
Idaho Homeless Enrollment by District Poverty Level
This map shows the correlation of poverty to homelessness in the state of Idaho. Statewide, approximately 47% of students qualify for free and/or reduced price lunches. National data trends show that approximately 10% of students qualifying for free and or reduced price lunch may be living in homeless situations.
On average the percentage of students living in McKinney-Vento eligible situations is 2.5% of our total student population.
In Idaho, we have students who have been identified as homeless living throughout the state in both urban and rural areas - though our more urban areas have a larger total number.
Districts/Charters with significantly higher populations of homeless students (more than double) than the state average of 2.5% include: Boundary County, Kellogg, Wallace, Highland, Kamiah, Lapwai, Orofino, Basin, Bruneau-Grand View, Garden Valley, Marsing, Midvale, Nampa, New Plymouth, Notus, Pathways in Ed- Nampa, Payette, Project Impact Stem, Wilder, Castleford, Dietrich, Gooding, Hansen, Richfield, Wendell, Clark County, Salmon, American Falls, Monticello Montessori, and Idaho Virtual Academy.
Five-year Historical Graph
This graph illustrates the number of unduplicated homeless students throughout the state of Idaho from 2015-2020 School Years (SY):
- SY 2015-2016: 7,372 homeless youth
- SY 2016-2017: 7,791 homeless youth
- SY 2017-2018: 8,368 homeless youth
- SY 2018-2019: 8,086 homeless youth
- SY 2019-2020: 7,835 homeless youth
Additional statistics:
- 8,103 students were identified and served by districts/charters in SY2019-20
- 268 of the identified students moved and were served by multiple districts/charters
- Eight Year District Historical Data (Numbers include duplicated students that may have moved or attended school in more than one district.)
Homeless - Where are they Staying?
This pie chart shows the percentages of homeless students based on where they were living during the 2018-2019 school year:
- 83% were doubled-up with friends or family (6,483)
- 6% were living in Shelters or Transitional Housing (390)
- 6% were living in hotels or motels (487)
- 5% were unsheltered (475)
Information comes from the district reported numbers.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
An Unaccompanied Homeless Youth is an individual who meets the McKinney-Vento definition of lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate living situation AND is also not in the physical custody of his/her parent or guardian.
This map shows the percentage of identified Homeless Children/Youth in Idaho who are considered Unaccompanied Homeless Youth by color. The darker the area the higher percentage of students who are navigating homelessness on their own.