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This story was produced by the Associated Press and reprinted with permission.
HOUSTON — Mackenzie Holmes has navigated a tumultuous living situation since her birth a decade ago, rarely staying in one home for long. Initially, she lived in a custom-built house in Houston, owned by her grandmother, Crystal Holmes. However, following the loss of her grandmother’s job at Southwest Airlines, they faced a series of challenges, including three evictions and multiple temporary living arrangements, from apartments to motels. Eventually, they found respite at a women’s shelter, providing some stability after months of uncertainty.
Each move brought new challenges for Mackenzie, impacting her education significantly. She has only managed to keep one friend for more than a year and was only diagnosed with dyslexia this year. As she switched schools frequently, she often languished behind in her studies, missing long stretches of class.
Children like Mackenzie, who face the threat of eviction, frequently end up transferring to schools that may offer fewer resources, leading to poorer educational outcomes. Research from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab highlights the grim reality for these students, noting that they miss school more often and tend to face higher suspension rates. An analysis of records from the Houston Independent School District revealed over 18,000 instances from 2002 to 2016 where students lived in homes threatened by eviction, indicating a direct link between housing instability and educational challenges.
Crystal Holmes struggles with the emotional toll of their unstable housing situation. Following a particularly difficult period in early 2025, when both she and Mackenzie were sleeping on an air mattress, Crystal sought help at the Mission of Yahweh women’s shelter. This move, while providing a roof over their heads, put Mackenzie at risk of transferring schools again—a daunting prospect for a fifth grader who had already missed weeks of classes earlier that school year.
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Neveah Barahona, another example of this trend, began her educational journey in Houston alongside Mackenzie but has moved schools six times. Her mother, Roxanne Abarca, tried to minimize disruption by allowing her children to finish the school year before moving, even if it meant long commutes. Neveah, academically gifted and aspiring to join the military, articulated the emotional strain of constant relocation: “It is kind of draining, meeting new people, meeting new teachers…”
Research shows that households with children are significantly more likely to face eviction. Approximately 1.5 million children experience eviction annually, often leading to severe disruptions in education, including increased absenteeism and stressful transitions between schools. Eviction Lab lead author Peter Hepburn emphasizes that nearly 40 percent of those affected by eviction proceedings are children, who bear the brunt of these circumstances through no fault of their own.
While federal laws exist to support homeless students by keeping them in their schools during housing crises, not all children affected by evictions receive these services. Schools sometimes struggle to track why students leave or where they move to, leaving many without necessary support. This gap is particularly evident in sprawling urban areas like Houston, where the delineation of school districts can be confusing.
For instance, after moving into a shelter, Mackenzie’s access to education was salvaged when her school arranged daily transportation. Still, these efforts can often fall short for other children. Millicent Brown, living in public housing, faced similar challenges with her daughter, Nova, who missed a month of school after a forced move, highlighting the precariousness of their living situation.
Neveah and her family have managed to settle into a comfortable home after years of instability, but even this sense of security is threatened as her mother has received an eviction notice. Despite receiving temporary assistance after meeting a courthouse employee who connected her with a nonprofit for rent support, the dream of a permanent home remains elusive.
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Source
hechingerreport.org