ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - More than 650 students in the Dougherty County School System are currently identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act, with the majority living in unstable housing situations rather than traditional shelters.

District data shows 670 students are experiencing homelessness. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, students are considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence — including those living in motels, shelters, or doubled up with other families.

District figures show 436 students are “doubled up” by staying with relatives or friends because they have nowhere else to go. Another 204 students are living in motels or hotels, while 30 students are staying in emergency shelters. No students are currently listed as living in other temporary housing situations.

“Many of these families are lacking some of the basic necessities, and then recently we found that there’s a whole other group that’s experiencing food insecurity and don’t have a place to live,” said Andrea Carter Revills, executive director of New Visions Community Development Corporation.

Community organizations step up to help

New Visions Community Development Corporation is partnering with the Albany Street Feed to help ensure children experiencing homelessness have access to warm meals, hygiene items, and clothing.

“There are a number of tent cities in Albany where people are living in the woods and living in abandoned homes, and several of those families too have been discovered to have children,” Carter Revills said. “It’s very disheartening and that’s why we have a passion to do whatever we can to help as much as we can.”

School officials say the number of homeless students has increased compared to last year and has continued to rise since the pandemic. The district cites housing instability, job loss, and long-term COVID impacts. Adding more school social workers has helped identify students who may have previously gone uncounted.

Transportation challenges for displaced students

Transportation remains a major challenge for displaced students. Once families lose stable housing, students are often outside their school attendance zone and may lack reliable transportation.

Under federal law, students experiencing homelessness have the right to remain at their school of origin, and school systems are required to provide transportation.

District officials say once a student is identified as homeless, the homeless liaison and social workers assess the family’s needs and coordinate transportation. While new bus routes typically take about two days to implement, students are transported by district social workers using school-system vans funded through grants to ensure they do not miss school.

Fear keeps some families from seeking help

“Those are only students that have been reported. I know a lot of parents are scared, because it’s hard,” said Felicia Kohler, founder of Hope in Action South Georgia.

Kohler knows that fear firsthand. She and her four daughters were homeless from 2017 to 2018, moving from living in a car to staying in a shelter.

“I was very fearful as most people are because at that time, I didn’t know much about being homeless as a parent, but the only thing that came to my mind is, ‘Am I going to lose my kids?’” Kohler said. “And so, I couldn’t let the schools know because when you’re living out of a vehicle, do you really want to tell somebody that?”

Finding the courage to speak up led Kohler to start Hope in Action South Georgia, a pop-up nonprofit resource connecting homeless families with help.

“I learned in speaking out and reaching out, I learned it’s okay,” Kohler said. “If you’re homeless and you’re trying, and if you’re not content with what’s going on in your life, you reach out to the right people, and there are resources that are available.”

School officials say families experiencing housing instability are encouraged to contact their school or the district’s homeless liaison for help. Federal law ensures students experiencing homelessness have access to education, transportation, and support services.

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