Homeless Innovative Practice Toolkit

The Stay Over Program Toolkit is made possible by a two-year Homeless Innovation Program (HIP) grant through the Homeless Education program of the California Department of Education (CDE).

The purpose of the HIP grant is to identify innovative practices to improve the educational stability, access, support, and academic achievement of children and youth experiencing homelessness. The primary goal of the HIP grant is to build capacity at the local level to implement systemic changes that improve student outcomes for students experiencing homelessness.

SFUSD received the HIP grant for 2022-2024, in recognition of the innovative Stay Over Program at Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School. Dolores Street Community Services serves as the lead community partner of the Stay Over Program and is also the lead consultant in the development of this toolkit in conjunction with the leadership and staff at the Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School. 

SFUSD Stay Over Program: The MIP Toolkit will assist Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in developing a school-based emergency shelter for students and families leading to the first step towards stable housing. The toolkit provides considerations for liability, community resistance, legal concerns, and implementation to be housed on a fully operational community school campus.

The toolkit is focused on supporting other LEAs in adopting these practices to augment and expand support for McKinney-Vento youth.