You want better reading scores? Give kids secure housing

We heard yesterday from both Speaker of the House Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Bray that reading proficiency is a top legislative priority for the 2024 General Assembly. Great, we all want our kids to have better opportunities to succeed. Reading, and our failing education system in general, are symptoms of larger systemic problems, not the least of which is that Hoosier children lack secure housing. In Marion County alone, landlords file 400-600 evictions per week – that’s per week. How can a child learn when she doesn’t know if she’ll have a home next month? Our school systems regularly see children who attend 3 or more schools per year. In a recent National Academy of Sciences study, they report, “The most common age to experience eviction in America is during childhood.” Want to improve learning? Improve living first.