Fresno housing pilot improves student attendance
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In Fresno, California, the Crossroads Village Housing Pilot Program provided stable housing for 20 families with 64 students, and after one year, showed improvements in student outcomes.
The program combines housing with on-site support services like mental health care, case management, a food pantry, and laundry facilities to address barriers to school attendance.
Fresno Unified and the Fresno Teachers Association partnered with UPholdings and the Central Valley Education Foundation to create 143 permanent housing units next to Fort Miller Middle School. Program data released on October 9 indicated that more than half of the students improved their attendance. Additionally, two-thirds of students who received office discipline referrals during the fourth quarter of the 2024-2025 school year had no referrals during the same period in 2025-2026.
Superintendent Misty Her explained that stable housing is foundational to student success, allowing them to be present and engaged in learning. The program represents a broader effort by the district to address challenges students face outside of school, and organizers hope to replicate the model in other communities.
