Hurricane Harvey’s Homeless: The Educational Impacts of Natural Disasters vs. Other Pathways to Homelessness

• In Event: Natural Disasters, the Environment, and Educational Outcomes

Abstract

This study examines the educational outcomes of student homelessness due to natural disaster vs. “traditional” economic pathways in the context of Houston Independent School District, which was hit by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We analyze data on 480,008 students using fixed-effects models. We find that students who became homeless due to Harvey generally had more positive educational outcomes than those who became homeless via traditional pathways: Indeed, they had higher rates of attendance and achievement on Texas’ state STAAR exams in reading and math. However, they also had more disciplinary infractions. We conclude with potential explanations for these findings as well as implications for educational stakeholders and policy during natural disasters.

Authors

• Cheyenne Phillips, Southern Methodist University

• Meredith Paige Richards, Southern Methodist University

• Alexandra E. Pavlakis, Southern Methodist University

• Kessa Roberts, Utah State University

• Maria Jose Hernandez, Southern Methodist University