A growing number of children in the United States are experiencing homelessness, a crisis driven largely by the lack of affordable housing and illustrated by families like T’Roya Jackson’s, who were forced into shelters after unsafe living conditions displaced them. As housing instability rises nationwide, nearly 1.4 million students now lack stable homes, many living in shelters, motels, or crowded arrangements with other families, often unnoticed by schools and social systems. This instability disrupts education, leading to frequent school changes, transportation challenges, emotional strain, and significantly lower graduation rates. While federal programs such as McKinney-Vento are designed to support homeless students, limited funding and policy gaps leave schools, states, and nonprofits struggling to meet growing needs. Ultimately, advocates emphasize that student homelessness is a systemic housing problem with long-term consequences for children’s academic success and overall well-being. (USA TODAY)