The surge of homeless schoolchildren in Kent and Ottawa counties to more than 4,000 is driven by unemployment, family dysfunction, foreclosures, rejection of sexual orientation, and unaffordable housing, according to educators and advocates. In 2014-15, the number of students without stable housing enrolled in local schools, including charters, was 4,128, up from 3,325 in 2013-14, according to data submitted to the state.
