Social Networks From the Margins: Race, Social Capital, and Educational Access Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

More than 1.5 million U.S. students are identified as experiencing homelessness each year, yet many remain disconnected from school-based protections. This study offers a race-conscious analysis of how Black and Latine youth experiencing homelessness access institutional and alternative forms of capital across fragmented systems of support. Drawing on interviews with 23 youth in Los Angeles County, the study uses Lin’s social capital theory and Stanton-Salazar’s concept of empowerment agents. Findings show that housing and antipoverty systems were often disconnected from McKinney-Vento protections. Institutional mistrust and concerns about racialized surveillance discouraged some youth from disclosing housing instability. Trusted educators served as relational brokers who combined institutional authority with cultural credibility and care. Familial and community-based networks provided material assistance, emotional support, and day-to-day stability through relational logics of care, but did not consistently connect youth to formal educational protections. Findings demonstrate that support and access are complementary, not synonymous.