“My work and life is inspired by three Melissas, the courageous moms who stepped forward to share their wisdom (from years of homelessness) in the book, The 3 Melissas: The Practical Guide to Surviving Family Homelessness. When I need a boost of mojo, I think of them striving to keep from slipping back into the vortex of homelessness. If they can suck it up, so can I!”
—Co-Author, Diane Nilan
‘Privatization is the next step towards dismantling public schools. This means shifting vast sums of money out of the inclusive, traditional public school system and into the discriminatory private school system . . . [Ohio] Gov. Cooper increases voucher funding from $342 million to a whopping $923 million. . .’
| The seismic shift in our nation’s capital certainly bodes ill for many marginalized populations, including families experiencing homelessness. Among challenges, skyrocketing rents make acquiring and maintaining housing extremely difficult, especially for those with inadequate income and spotty rental history.…more renters than ever before, particularly those with the lowest incomes, are struggling with high housing costs. More than 10 million households with the lowest incomes are severely cost-burdened, paying more than half their limited income on rent. NLIHC, 1/24/25 Simultaneously, cities and states are outlawing homelessness, sweeping people into and out of courts and jail, which makes it impossible to lead a productive lifestyle. And our current White House occupant feels the need to target vulnerable populations with his executive order pen.We can’t change the whole rotten FOTUS enchilada, but we can do something. Here is my humble attempt to wrangle good people to do some good stuff.  At least this shelter provided diapers for this baby. Photo Diane Nilan.Record family homelessness I hate to be Diane Downer, but with the rise in family homelessness, schools, now more than ever, need to be the vital link to connect students and their families to support. Despite grossly inadequate levels of available funding, intrepid school district McKinney-Vento homeless liaisons work miracles helping families. My 4-minute film of family and youth homelessness in Oregon gives a glimpse of how school staff assist homeless students. Behind the scenes: invisible public school demolition In a conversation with a well-read, enlightened person the other day, we got on the topic of school vouchers. She admitted not knowing anything about them. I had just read this extensive New Yorker article that further opened my eyes about this overlooked scheme that ravages public education like a swarm of termites. Vouchers sound so benign, but we’re at the point where the damage is evident. * * * What do vouchers have to do with family homelessness? As one of the people responsible for improving access to schools for millions of kids experiencing homelessness, I’ve worked extensively to remove barriers homeless students typically encounter. To understand why, watch my first short film, My Own Four Walls, where kids express their hopes and dreams that schools make possible. Schools, havens for kids with unstable or non-existent housing, offer the opportunity to learn, and provide: • free meals — lunch, and breakfast if they’re lucky, • time with their friends and teachers,routine and predictability, • access to personal needs (clothing, shoes, toiletries, etc.), • opportunity to participate in worthwhile activities, • and more… In my 20 years filming interviews with kids and parents in various homeless situations, school ranks high in importance across the board. The kids are enthusiastic! They recognize education is the ticket out of homelessness and poverty.  The sign that no hungry kid wants to see. Photo Diane Nilan Vouchers impose barriers Vouchers destroy the funding stream for public education necessary for quality public schools. Heavily subsidized wealthy families funnel their children to these segregated schools. Private schools are not obligated to follow laws governing access to schools or other services that public schools must follow. They can turn away or oust students without repercussions. Some schools stumble when needed most Too many schools don’t or can’t put forth effort to identify and assist homeless students, preventing them from any educational opportunity. The Midwest Newsroom has been providing excellent coverage of this issue, most recently examining how the McKinney-Vento Act, the law removing barriers to education for homeless students, is implemented in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. Homeless youth advocates agree that under identification is the leading challenge for homeless students in the country. For a student to receive aid, they or their family must self-identify with a school district, or the school district itself has to determine the student is eligible for aid. Midwest Newsroom/Iowa Public Radio Other states, like Ohio, a state big on vouchers, also struggle to identify and educate homeless students. According to the Ohio Capital Journal. More than 25,500 students were reported to have been experiencing homelessness during the 2023–24 school year — 1.5% of Ohio’s total student population, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. But a little more than half of Ohio’s 611 school districts reported having less than 10 students experiencing homelessness during that same school year. Underreporting and under identifying is bad enough. It means hundreds of thousands of kids are lacking basic access to school. States might say they don’t have enough money to give schools funds to do what is required, but that’s not quite the case. They seem to find money for vouchers.  This family awaited assistance at a shelter. Photo Diane Nilan. What’s So Bad About Vouchers? At first I didn’t realize how pervasive vouchers are, and the potential for harm, especially when it comes to harder-to-serve students — special needs, non-white, homeless, LGBTQ, etc. Too many schools don’t or can’t put forth effort to identify and assist homeless students My new home state of North Carolina has been rampantly expanding vouchers. Hundreds of millions of dollars are funneled to support segregation. In the meantime, NC public schools are literally crumbling, teachers are grossly underpaid, and white students from wealthy families are pouring into private academies, subsidized by vouchers. Called Opportunity Scholarships, North Carolina’s voucher program launched in 2014. At first, it was only for low-income families and had barely more than 1,200 participants. Then last fall, state lawmakers expanded eligibility to students of all income levels and those already attending private school, a move that sparked furious debate over the future of public education. ProPublicaPublicEd Works shines a light on North Carolina’s distorted fiscal priorities — subsidizing this private school system at the expense of public schools. Failure hasn’t stopped legislators from continuing to rail against the supposed threats from diversity, equity, and inclusion and efforts to treat LGBTQ students with dignity. The national architects of these bigoted moral panics have admitted that their goal is to undermine support for public schools. It should come as no surprise, then, that privatization is the next step towards dismantling public schools. This means shifting vast sums of money out of the inclusive, traditional public school system and into the exclusionary, discriminatory private school system. HB 10 — which the General Assembly passed this November despite Gov. Cooper’s veto — increases voucher funding from $342 million to a whopping $923 million. Public Ed Works, 1/16/25. * * * What can be done? Since the 3 Melissas have done the heavy lifting, giving readers a deep look at what families endure when homeless, the least we can do is help share this resource. (The 3 Melissas reap the modest proceeds from sales of this book.) This guidebook primarily is meant for families in homeless situations, but it’s a powerful tool for others: Educators, shelter staff, and social service personnel who work with this population will be informed and inspired.College students entering education, health care, social work and psychology will gain heaps of knowledge from this little blue book.Elected officials at all levels need to learn more about family homelessness. This short read will open their eyes and minds.The curious public will discover the ins and outs of what millions of invisible families endure when they lose housing. For those wanting to have a major local impact on their community’s homeless families, buy a stack of these books (bulk rates, 10+, are available), and donate them to your local public school district’s homeless liaison. They can distribute the books to families and school staff.  Melissa A (IL), Melissa N (FL), Melissa T (KS) Photo courtesy HEAR US Inc.Who knows? Maybe a movement to address family homelessness will sprout. It’s long past time!··· For more stories about homelessness and social justice, follow Fourth Wave. Have you got a story or poem that focuses on women or other disempowered groups? Submit to the Wave! |
Diane Nilan is President of HEAR US Inc.,an organization that gives voice to families and youth experiencing homelessness. Nilan has devoted her life to advocating for and presenting the real face of homelessness in America, focussing on families and children. She has more than three decades of experience running shelters; advocating for improved state and federal policies; filming/producing award-winning documentaries. Her latest work is the book, Dismazed and Driven: My Look at Family Homelessness in America.
