Understanding Local Law 82 of 2018 — Educational Continuity at Shelter Intake

School girl writing in class by Rido

If you recently brought your family to a shelter, your children have a right to continue their education.

This blog post will break down Local Law 82 of 2018, which outlines your rights to information on “educational continuity.” Law 82 requires the Department of Education to provide information on school rights, transportation, and childcare options. [1]

I. Your Rights

Law 82 guarantees shelter applicants the right to information on educational continuity. Families with children who (1) apply for emergency shelter at a Department of Homeless Services (DHS) intake facility and (2) have not sought shelter within the past 90 days are eligible. An intake facility is the location where these families apply for temporary emergency housing with the DHS, such as at the temporary housing facility itself.

The information about educational continuity should be provided to you at the DHS intake facility by a representative of the Department of Education (DOE). When you receive the information, you should also be provided with contact information for “relevant staff” at the DOE.

You should receive information on:

1. Education rights for your children, whether preschool- or school-aged.

2. Transportation to and from school, as well as enrolling school-aged children in a new school.

3. Early childhood care and education options for children under 5 years old. This includes 3-K and Pre-K for All, EarlyLearn, and other forms of subsidized child care, including child care vouchers.

4. How to access evaluations for early intervention services and preschool special education services.

5. Homeless students’ rights, including a summary of their rights outlined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. [2]

If someone from the DOE is not available, written information should be made available to you that explains your rights, along with contact information for DOE staff. Follow up with DOE staff using the provided contact information if discussions did not happen at intake.

II. Why This Matters

Chronic absenteeism is a big issue for students living in shelters or temporary housing, according to Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) — and it can have grave consequences for these students’ futures. [3] More than 154,000 public school students experienced homelessness in the 2024-2025 school year, according to AFC.

A 2025 study from the NYC Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI) revealed that students who resided in shelters and were chronically absent from high school were twice as likely to experience homelessness in young adulthood, ages 18-21, as their peers who resided in shelters but were not chronically absent. [4]

Dropping out of high school also contributes to higher rates of homelessness in young adulthood for sheltered students, the study said. Students living in shelters had dropout rates more than three times that of their peers who were permanently housed, and lower rates of graduating within four years. The CIDI study found that students living in shelters who did not graduate in four years more than doubled the chance that they would experience homelessness as young adults, as compared to their peers who lived in shelters but did graduate. 

In this sense, providing students with a stable education becomes an important factor in their long-term success and can help break the cycle of homelessness. Law 82 represents a key step toward this goal by creating opportunities for educational continuity.

III. How to Guarantee Your Rights

Entering temporary housing can be a disorienting and stressful experience. Law 82 helps ease this burden by providing valuable information about educational continuity at intake.

If an NYC shelter fails to provide educational continuity information, this is a violation of city law. You can report this violation via 311 or the DHS Ombudsman’s office. [5] For support in addressing this issue, you can also contact Coalition for the Homeless (CFH) by calling their hotline at 888-358-2384. [6]

Still have questions? Mentor A Promise is a resource for students experiencing homelessness. Reach out to us at info@mentorapromise.org.