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More than 100 unhoused community college students and those in danger of losing their housing will receive shelter through a one-year pilot program. The Los Angeles Community College District hopes the assistance will help students stay enrolled in college and graduate.
“No student should be forced to choose between keeping a roof over their head and pursuing an education,” LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez said in a statement.
The LACCD Board of Trustees approved spending more $1.5 million a one-time state budget allocation to support the initiative during its meeting on April 13.
The pilot program also includes supportive services, such as food assistance, counseling and tutoring.
Students can apply for the pilot program through the five non-profits partnering with LACCD: Jovenes, Inc., Los Angeles Room and Board (LARB), Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services, Seed House Project and The Shower of Hope (SoH).
Surveys show that about 20% of community college students in L.A. experience homelessness. Sixty-eight percent come from low-income families, and just over half of LACCD students live at or below the poverty line.
