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Student testimony to Senate panel links housing instability to school failure
Summary
A student witness told the Senate Education Committee that Vermont’s high youth homelessness rate disrupts schooling and can cause students to fall behind, urging the committee to consider housing supports when shaping education policy.
Annabelle Frier testified to the Senate Education Committee on March 12 that housing instability has direct, measurable effects on students’ ability to attend and succeed in school. She cited state figures and a personal example of a peer who missed school during eviction, lived in a tent and then a hotel, and subsequently fell behind academically and graduated late.
Frier told senators that of the more than 4,500 unhoused people in Vermont, at least 4,000 are under 18 (as stated in her testimony) and argued that education policy must account for housing as a determinant of educational outcomes. She urged supports for homeless youth — from housing programs to in‑school resources — so that students can remain in school and complete coursework.
Committee members acknowledged the intersection of housing and education and thanked the witnesses for raising the issue. The testimony was given during the committee’s Youth Leadership Day session; the committee did not take formal action on housing during this meeting.
