Supporting students: Housing, health, and education

How does unstable housing affect student success? And how can schools identify students in unstable housing and partner with community organizations to support them?

On this episode of School’s In, hosts Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope welcome Amy Gerstein, executive director of Stanford’s John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, to discuss how unstable housing affects educational outcomes and why it’s imperative that schools look to the larger community for help. Gerstein talks about several topics, including:

• The effects of unstable housing on students’ academic performance, attendance, and high school completion
• Underreporting of unstable housing by students and families due to stigma, fear of repercussions, and lack of awareness of resources and support 
• How different definitions of homelessness complicate identification and resource allocation
• What kinds of resources schools, districts, and community organizations should provide to have the most impact
• How the community school model can be effective in integrating services like healthcare and housing support
• Training to ensure school staff can identify and sensitively support at-risk youth.

Amy Gerstein is the executive director of the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities, which conducts research in partnership with school districts, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to advance equity for young people and the people around them. In her role, she provides strategic direction and works with community members across sectors. To learn more about her work, visit her profile.

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