Efforts to boost literacy and educational outcomes in Michigan will fall short unless state officials first confront widespread poverty and housing instability, according to researchers and advocates. Experts say that the challenges students face outside the classroom, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, directly impact their ability to learn and succeed in school.
Jennifer Erb-Downward, director of Housing Stability Programs and Policy Initiatives at Poverty Solutions, stated, "The real answer to fixing the reading problems across the country and in Michigan is that we need to address poverty and we need to address housing instability." She noted that poverty itself is a "policy choice" and that society bears collective responsibility for its harm on children.
State data for 2026 indicates that more than 710,000 students across Michigan are considered economically disadvantaged. This category includes homeless students, as well as those in households receiving food or cash assistance, or who qualify for free and reduced school meals. Nearly half of all Michigan students fall into this category. The number of school-aged children experiencing homelessness has been steadily rising since the pandemic, with nearly 36,600 pre-K through 12th grade students, or almost 3%, affected during the 2024-25 school year.
These unstable living conditions have clear educational consequences. Data from the Class of 2025 shows that about 64% of homeless students statewide graduated, which is 20 percentage points below the state average for all students. Homeless students also drop out at double the statewide rate of about 7%. Experts point out that children experiencing homelessness often bring stress and anxiety to school, describing it as a "big shock" and "trauma."
Twelve-year-old Trenten, a student with dyslexia who relies on an individualized education program (IEP), exemplifies these struggles. His mother, Tanisha Adkins, explained that Trenten's confidence and schoolwork have suffered significantly since he began living separately from her for the past six months while she searches for permanent housing. He used to read aloud with his mother each night, but has become withdrawn, telling her, "It’s not the same. You’re not here full time, so why should I do it?" His grades initially dropped, showing only slight improvement since.
Challenges extend beyond academic performance to navigating support systems. Jenna Pickman of the Student Advocacy Center of Michigan, a nonprofit assisting K-12 students and families in poverty, recounted helping a family living in a long-term stay hotel. They faced hurdles with school transportation cards, requiring them to resubmit paperwork for the McKinney-Vento Act, which protects the rights of children experiencing homelessness. Pickman noted that without dedicated support, families struggling with homelessness are often "two or three steps behind" due to the exhaustion of managing daily life alongside administrative tasks.
Imani Foster, who began working with the Detroit education equity nonprofit 482Forward in high school, recalled families dealing with homelessness being further destabilized by abrupt charter school closures, scrambling to find new schools without transcripts. In the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), where Trenten attends, about 8% of students were identified as experiencing homelessness, though such counts are frequently underreported.
Policy discussions in Michigan have yet to fully integrate poverty solutions with educational goals. While candidates for Michigan governor, Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James, have platforms addressing education—including absenteeism and literacy—neither includes explicit ways to tackle issues of poverty. Benson's plan involves expanding Rx Kids cash payments for new mothers and ensuring pre-K for all, while James focuses on expanding school choice and supporting Michigan boys who are falling behind.
Erb-Downward highlighted that multiple barriers, such as mid-school year moves, homelessness, and families living separately, make success difficult for many children. She emphasized that families are often "forced into situations where they have no good decision to make." Housing attorney Jim Schaafsma of the Michigan Poverty Law Program pointed to a nationwide "enormous mismatch" between income and housing costs, calling it a "failure of a market system" and a "failure of a governmental response," resulting in "terrible outcomes for families that are so often really beyond their control."
Michigan does provide over $1.3 billion for economically disadvantaged students, an amount that has increased since 2023 with a weighted funding system for at-risk and other vulnerable children. These funds can support school health clinics, crisis intervention, mental health services, and various instructional and noninstructional programs. Additionally, the state's Housing Choice Voucher program has allotted nearly 22,000 vouchers to over 20,200 families, subsidizing rent for very low-income families, veterans, and elderly individuals.