A Closer Look: Proximity Boosts Homeless Student Performance in New York City

Arbeitspapier

Proximity augments homeless students' educational outcomes. Homeless K-8 graders whose families are placed in shelters near their schools have 8 percent (2.4 days) better attendance, are a third (18 percentage points) less likely to change schools, and exhibit higher rates of proficiency and retention. Homeless high schoolers have 5 percent (2.5 days) better attendance, 29 percent (10 pp) lower mobility, and 8 percent (1.6 pp) greater retention when placed locally. These results proceed from novel administrative data on homeless families observed in the context of a scarcity-induced natural experiment in New York City. A complementary instrumental variable strategy exploiting homeless eligibility policy reveals a subset of proximity-elastic students benefit considerably more. Panel evidence demonstrates homelessness does not cause educational impairment as much as reflect large preexisting deficits.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 13558

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Analysis of Education ; Education: Government Policy ; Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs ; National Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs ; State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
• Subject: homelessness ; education ; K-12 ; neighborhoods ; families ; housing ; poverty alleviation ; welfare policy ; program evaluation ; causal inference

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Cassidy, Michael T.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2020

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/224000
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET