For Immediate Release
June 28, 2019
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-487-5436
LANSING—The number of homeless children under the age of 4 in Michigan has reached 15,565—and is likely even higher—according to Homelessness in Early Childhood, a new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. Using the broader educational definition of homelessness, this is over two and a half times the number that is reported by the state’s shelter system.
“Crucial brain development takes place between birth and age 4, and kids who experience the trauma of homelessness face obstacles to their own physical and emotional growth. These kids are so little, and we should be doing everything we can to help them and their families to thrive,” said Alicia Guevara Warren, Kids Count Project Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy.
Fifty-four percent of preschool children experiencing homelessness have a major developmental delay, compared with just 16 percent of their peers who are not homeless. And nearly half of all children who were homeless were chronically absent last school year.
“If we’re going to adequately address the issue of homelessness among young children, we first need a complete picture. Right now, it is easy for kids to slip through the cracks and go un-identified because we have no unified system of support and we rely on reporting from a variety of organizations. The state needs a unified database—one that examines inequities based on race and ethnicity—in order for us to truly develop and fund resources to save kids,” said Jennifer Erb-Downward, Senior Research Associate for Poverty Solutions.
The report uses Michigan Department of Education data analyzed by Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan to explore homelessness between birth and age 4 and makes policy recommendations to ensure all children can enter kindergarten ready to learn.
“The negative impact on educational outcomes is disturbing, but not surprising. Young children without a stable place to live are struggling, and without needed supports, the repercussions continue into grade school, impacting attendance and proficiency in math and reading. We can see that we’re not doing enough as a state to lift them up,” Erb-Downward said.
In addition to encouraging better data collection, the report raises the need for coordination of services.
“Policymakers need to support a system of care approach so a case manager can work with a family to coordinate services based on that family’s needs. When families are bounced from agency to agency without a connection between case managers and agencies, information can easily get lost in the shuffle. We’re talking about thousands of little Michiganders who could truly thrive if we could tie those services together,” said Guevara Warren.
The state’s current affordable housing crisis, which is widespread, is a big part of the problem, too, according to the report. Right now, for every 100 renters with extremely low incomes, there are only 37 affordable housing units, and housing discrimination is a big piece of that crisis.
“Relative to the need there are very few vouchers available under HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program, and landlords often compound the problem by rejecting prospective tenants based on that income source. Up to 78 percent of those voucher holders are denied by landlords in the U.S. And ‘source of income’ discrimination is often just a cover for landlords who illegally discriminate based on race, ethnicity and disability,” said Julie Cassidy, a senior policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy.
The report’s major recommendations include:
- Improving data collection;
- Supporting coordination of services;
- Increasing access to early childhood education opportunities; and
- Ending housing discrimination.
The counties with the highest percentage of young children who are homeless are rural, and include Alger, Lake and Arenac counties. Seventy-five percent of all young children experiencing homelessness, though, live in urban areas of the state.
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The Kids Count in Michigan project is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Funding for the project is provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, Michigan Education Association, American Federation of Teachers Michigan, Ruth Mott Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, and the Battle Creek Community Foundation. More state and local data are available at the Kids Count Data Center, www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
Poverty Solutions is a University of Michigan initiative that aims to prevent and alleviate poverty through action-based research that informs policymakers, community organizations, government entities, and practitioners about what works in confronting poverty. Learn more at poverty.umich.edu/.
The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
