Assemblages of Marginality: Exploring the Geographic and Structural Displacement of Homeless Students with Disabilities

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Abstract

This study examines the national landscape of homeless students with disabilities, a growing yet underexamined population in U.S. public education. Drawing on intersectionality and assemblage theory, we analyze how overlapping structures of race, poverty, disability, and geography shape students’ representation across school districts. Using district-level data (2013–2020) and two-level negative binomial models, we find that districts with more students of color, Title I funding, and poverty report higher counts—reflecting compounded structural marginalization. We also find significant spatial shifts from urban to suburban, town, and rural areas, revealing the evolving geography of poverty. Results highlight how federal funding both alleviates and obscures structural inequities, pointing to the need for context-specific, equity-oriented policy interventions responsive to spatial and institutional disparities.

Authors

• Yehyang Lee, Syracuse University

• Dian Mawene, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Dosun Ko, Santa Clara University