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Housing Insecurity Among Community College Students Is More Than Double Rate Of UC, CSU Students, Audit Finds
The student center at East Los Angeles College.
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Jackie Orchard
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LAist
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New findings from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office show that more than half of California’s community college students have faced housing insecurity over the past 12 months. And about a quarter of those nearly 2 million students have experienced homelessness.
Because they’re more affordable than four-year institutions, students from low-income backgrounds often choose to launch their higher ed journeys at community colleges. Students who experience homelessness report lower GPAs and drop out at higher rates than their peers.
The LAO report, largely based on survey data from 2023, digs into the current results of state programs designed to address housing and basic needs services.
The homelessness rate at community colleges far exceeds the California State University and University of California systems.
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Among UC students, 8% of respondents reported being homeless. At CSU, it was 11%.
The report highlights “the dire need for affordable housing and basic needs assistance for our students,” said a spokesperson for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office.
What’s the difference between “housing insecurity” and “homelessness”?
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Among California’s public higher education institutions, “housing insecurity” refers to challenges like having difficulty paying for rent or having to move frequently.
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“Homelessness” is used to describe students who lack a stable place to spend the night. This includes students who are couch surfing, staying at motels, or sleeping in their cars.
How are lawmakers and colleges working to support students?
In 2019, the state funded “rapid rehousing” programs at UC, CSU, and community colleges. Generally, the programs involve moving people who are experiencing homelessness into permanent housing. Campuses can also use this funding to provide emergency grants to keep students from losing their home in the first place.
Not all community colleges have rapid rehousing programs. The California Community Colleges system opted to have campuses compete for this funding. In L.A. County, the campuses that have secured it include:
- Antelope Valley College
- Cerritos College
- L.A. Trade-Tech College
- L.A. Harbor College
- Long Beach City College
- Southwest College
Each of these campuses has developed or is developing a memorandum of understanding with at least one community partner. At Cerritos College, for instance, Jovenes Inc. provides housing assistance for students.
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The state also funded basic needs programs at UC in 2019 and at CSU and California’s community colleges in 2021. These programs also provide students with housing and food assistance, often through food pantries where students can get help with other essentials — everything from diapers for parenting students to help paying for gas. California Community Colleges has funded basic needs programs at all of its physical campuses.
The LAO report indicates that, currently, most of the basic needs funds are going toward staffing and operations, in part because the programs are fairly new.
The state’s data is incomplete
Survey data from UC, CSU, and the community colleges also revealed that Black students and students receiving Pell Grants (federal financial aid for low-income students) have reported higher-than-average rates of homelessness.
California Community Colleges also disaggregated its data by age group and found that reported rates of homelessness were highest among students ages 26 to 30.
But the LAO data compiled is incomplete because reporting requirements are inconsistent among the three systems. For example, the office noted that only community colleges are required to provide annual reports on the number and demographics of students who receive basic needs services.
Moving forward, the state wants all three systems to provide the same data for the rapid rehousing and basic needs programs. If the change is implemented, it will include academic outcomes, such as the number of students who remain enrolled the following academic year.
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“We know affordable housing is crucial to student success,” said a spokesperson for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office, “and we look forward to working with the Legislature on reporting changes that could improve tracking outcomes data and resources.”
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