This sounds like a situation that your counselor should be writing about in his/her letter; the family was in transitional housing, 2021/22 student was just starting high school, adjusting to high school while dealing with possible learning loss from the pandemic (how did your son fare through remote learning?)
I would not have it be the main essay because most students in the country were on remote learning during the school year 2020-2021 (when your child was in 8th grade and returned during 2021-2022).
Schools provided AIS and resources upon return to school (tutoring for everyone increased compensatory services for SWDs etc.). What will differentiate his COVID story that will be different from students who lost parents/grandparents, families with job loss?