Intersections of disability and housing insecurity: A snapshot and call to action

Few studies have explored the co-occurrence of housing insecurity and educational disability among preK-12 students. Yet, both are the basis for legal entitlements to educational supports and protections and are often associated with unmet educational needs with far-ranging detriments to students' experiences; functioning; and academic, social, emotional, and health outcomes. This exploratory descriptive study used a state's education and homeless management information systems' data to examine the co-occurrence of disability and housing insecurity among 989,572 preK-12 students enrolled in Minnesota public or charter schools during the 2018-2019 school year. Differences by demographic characteristics and disability type were also explored. Of the students experiencing housing insecurity, 32.3% were identified as having an educational disability. Housing-insecure students were 63% more likely to be identified with a disability than students who did not experience housing insecurity. Students with an educational disability were more likely to be experiencing housing insecurity than those without an educational disability. Most students were identified as housing-insecure only by educational agencies. Patterns of over- and underrepresentation across demographic characteristics and disability categories suggest the need for future research to explore how systemic factors such as marginalization, interagency and interprofessional collaboration, professional preparation, and recent discontinuation of safety net programs may be associated with these youths' educational experiences, needs, and treatment. Findings also suggest that it is important for school psychologists to consider housing in/security when engaging in data-based decision making, student supports, and collaborative practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).