Downey, Houghtaling Bill to Require State to Provide Education for Students Living in Homeless Shelters Signed into Law

(TRENTON) - Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Joann Downey, Eric Houghtaling, Mila Jasey, Troy Singleton, James Holley and Marlene Caride to require the state to pay the educational costs for certain students who reside in a homeless shelter outside of their district of residence was signed into law on Thursday.

"Children and youth who experience homelessness face many barriers to education," said Downey (D-Monmouth County). "School can be a source of stability for a young person and family who have lost their housing."

"The will help ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to a public education," said Houghtaling (D- Monmouth County). "Education is important to every child, and even more critical to a child who has endured homelessness and other unfortunate experiences in life."

The state was required to pay the educational costs of any student who resides for more than one year in a domestic violence shelter or transitional living facility located outside the student's district of residents.

This new law provides that, in addition, the state will pay the educational costs of a student who resides for more than one year in a homeless shelter located outside the student's district of residence.

A series of administrative law decisions have ruled that if a homeless family continues to reside in a particular school district for more than one year, then the family is considered to be domiciled in that district, and the district becomes responsible for the costs of the child's education. This bill will avoid concentrating the educational costs of students who live in homeless shelters for an extended period of time on the communities in which shelters are located.