Homelessness in the US has varied over time based on a number of factors. Today, there’s a dramatic ongoing increase in the numbers of homeless in some areas.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that over the last year New Mexico had a 27% increase in homelessness, the largest increase in the entire country.

Homeless statistics are not always reliable, and are difficult to gather. However, in some cases such as currently in LA, the “eye test” reveals the homeless there have notably increased. In the LCPS there have been an average of 600 to 650 students who are homeless at any given time out of 24,800 students district wide. 

“If they don’t have a home to sleep in it’s going to cause some problems,” said Special Ed LCPS teacher Cheryl Carreon, who says Community Schools are the answer.

“The idea of community schools is it’s a strategy to transform traditional public schools into neighborhood hubs,” David Greenberg the director of community schools for the LCPS:said. “80 to 100 kids eat dinner at Lyn Middle school out of 700 kids.

Greenberg says they plan to launch the community school process at Dona Ana Elementary, MacArthur elementary and Booker T. Washington elementary. He is hopeful community schools can combat homelessness in the state, adding the governor just proposed adding 12 million dollars to community schools expansions.

PSA supports the development of the concept of “Community Schools as neighborhood hubs”, as that idea can contain many innovations useful to all citizens, and contains within it opportunities as yet unimagined.

Yet it’s unclear how a neighborhood hub can provide homes to those without. Would these hubs turn into some form of “homeless shelter”? The kids are already eating dinner there, but creating a sleeping space for 100 kids is a much steeper challenge.

Kudos to KFOX14 for their report upon which this post was based.