One of the major setbacks California college students face in reaching their higher education goals is housing insecurity. The complexity of finding housing resources increases the risk for students to become homeless, particularly community college students as 65% of them experience housing insecurity at a much higher rate than students enrolled in 4-year universities.
To support students in securing a home while enrolled in college, United Way of Greater Los Angeles joined the California Affordable Student Housing (CASH) Coalition’s Student Power Building workgroup to partner with Public Advocates and Young Invincibles, The Afrikan Black Coalition (ABC), GENup, Students Making a Change (SMAC), and UC San Diego Associated Students (ASUCSD for the creation of the new California Higher Education Student Housing Resource Guide, released a few weeks ago.
“The CASH Coalition brings together higher education advocates and researchers, civil rights organizations, and student-led organizations to find solutions to student housing insecurity and homelessness,” said Jetaun Stevens, Senior Staff Attorney with Public Advocates, a civil rights law firm and advocacy organization, and a long-time partner in the mission to advance education and housing justice.
“Since our convening in March 2023, we’ve successfully advocated to protect state funding for affordable student housing and we’re exploring new ways to ensure that housing is not a barrier to accessing higher education for our most vulnerable students,” Stevens said.
According to Stevens, the coalition has three workgroups: Legislation & Policy, Research and Learning, and Student-Power Building.
“One way we’ve been looking for solutions is by listening to students,” said Angela Estrada, Student Engagement Associate with Public Advocates. “One thing we heard consistently from students and college administrators is that there is a lack of information available to students when facing housing challenges. We created the Higher Education Student Housing Resource Guide as a starting place for students looking for help.”
The Student Housing Resource Guide is cataloged by public higher education segments and by specific cities and counties.
Students enrolled in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) will greatly benefit from this new housing resource guide as over half (53%) of the student population enrolled live below the poverty line.
“While all Californians are struggling with access to affordable housing, community college students report rates of housing insecurity and homelessness higher than the general population, with 60% reporting housing insecurity and 1 out of 4 reporting experiencing homelessness during the school year. It is difficult to focus on school when you do not know where you are going to sleep at night,” Stevens said.
“A key aspect of our organization’s mission is to ensure everyone in Los Angeles, including community college students, can access essential resources to help them reach their academic and career goals. Addressing housing insecurity is a big component of eliminating barriers for BIPOC and first-generation students to succeed in college. This housing resource guide is supporting that pathway for thousands of students to achieve their dreams,” said Martha Maciel Serratos, Education Programs & Policy Manager at United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
“Unaffordable housing is clearly a barrier to accessing higher education, but I believe we can find policy solutions to remove this barrier,” Stevens added. “And we believe that all students, regardless of the systemic barriers put in front of them, deserve to thrive on the educational paths that they choose.”
She explained that in addition to advocating for greater investment in affordable student housing for low-income students, the coalition has advocated for colleges and universities to collect better data on students’ housing needs and for greater tenant protections that will benefit students who live off-campus. “Students represent a significant part of our communities, so finding housing solutions that benefit them will also benefit the state as a whole.”
Public Advocates will be part of United Way’s signature college event Way2Success: Community College Resource Fair launched in the fall of 2023. This year, it will be hosted by Long Beach City College on October 11. The event will offer many workshops including ‘Finding your College Home,’ a workshop for students to learn how to navigate housing applications, financing assistance, and searching for your college home. Attendees will also learn about statewide regulations and guidance to help secure housing as a community college student.
“We joined the inaugural Way2Success fair last year and are looking forward to returning this year,” said Estrada. “Spaces like the Way2Success fair are important because students can access the resources they need. We can reach students from different communities in Los Angeles, who otherwise might not know about policies or resources available to them.”
Estrada said Public Advocates are excited to share more about the coalition and the housing resource guide with students. “One thing that came across clearly is how much the community trusts United Way and having a trusted space for students to get resources is invaluable.”
Check out the housing resource guide here today!
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