The Troubling Normalization of Food and Housing Insecurity Among Low-income College Students

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Let’s Go Basic Needs Fellow: Yvette Hernandez

College: University of California Berkeley

College students today are in a daily battle with the high costs of pursuing higher education, causing many to face food and housing insecurity. From 1985 to 2017, the cost of attending a four-year college or university in the United States rose 497%, more than twice the rate of inflation. During the same time, investments in federal and state financial aid have remained relatively stagnant. This imbalance has resulted in thousands of low-income students struggling to make ends meet at all public university systems in California. 

For instance, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office survey showed that 50% of their students faced food insecurity. The University of California Regents Basic Needs Committee found that 44% of UC undergraduates were food insecure. Within the California State University system, a 2018 Basic Needs study found that 41.6% of students experienced food insecurity. 

Many low-income students eligible for the Pell Grant have relied on free-or-reduced meals during their K-12 education, and suddenly when they enter college they no longer have a similar option. It is cruel to expect that the most vulnerable students will no longer need food assistance simply because they graduated from high school, especially since many guardians relinquish support at this point. 

Legislation has recently passed to support students dealing with food insecurity. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and AB 396 have expanded eligibility for students to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits up to $246 per month; however, this is not enough, considering food insecurity is not the only issue students are facing. 

In addition to food insecurity, students are struggling to afford safe housing. Around 60% of California Community College Students and 16% of UC students have reported experiencing housing insecurity. At the CSU 10.9% of students were homeless, and there was no measurable data on housing insecure students. These numbers encompass students that live in their cars, couch surf, and students that do not have a reliable and safe space to sleep.

The major contributing factors to housing insecurity are the limited number of beds available for students to live on-campus, and the high cost of living for low-income students. The UC system currently has more than 280,000 students enrolled and only 100,000 beds. Even though some students prefer to live off-campus or with their families, there is still a prevalent need for additional affordable housing across all public institutions, specifically for low-income students.

Policy makers have passed legislation on improving the availability of affordable student housing, such as SB-169, and the Post Secondary Education Trailer Bill that provides 500 million dollars for the construction of affordable student housing over the course of three years. The funds will be distributed as follows: 50% to the California Community Colleges, 30% for the California State University, and 20% for the University of California.

This is an improvement but it does not guarantee that all low-income students will be able to secure affordable housing. Universities and policy makers should heavily consider prioritizing low-income and first-generation students for housing because securing off-campus housing is difficult without the proper support. Many landlords require excessive and unrealistic lease requirements like having an income three times the rent amount or more, a good credit score, and application fees. Some landlords offer cosigner options, but for low-income students their families may also not meet these housing requirements, making them virtually ineligible for off-campus housing. 

The costs of pursuing a higher education is incredibly high for many students to afford today. Which is why there are 1 million fewer students in college as found by the National Public Radio Organization on Education. Many people stereotype college students as lazy for not being able to afford their basic needs but it is simply not the case. The U.S Department of Education found that in community colleges 72% of full-time college students were working either part-time or full-time jobs on top of their full course load. In four-year universities 41% of students were also working. 

Students are already working to support themselves and are still unable to afford their food, housing, and college expenses. This highlights the insufficiency of financial aid. Millions of low-income students receive the Pell Grant, however, it has lost its value because it has not kept up with increasing college costs. Fifty years ago, this same Pell Grant covered three-quarters of the cost of attending a 4-year public college, today it only covers one-third of the cost of college with inflation taken into account. 

Congress should double the Pell Grant to cover the costs for Community College students and 59% of the educational expenses for students at four-year public colleges. Without further action, higher education will continue being unaffordable to low-income students, and food and housing insecurity will continue to rise. 

We have to stop normalizing food and housing insecurity as a necessary evil for obtaining a degree. As students, we are pursuing higher education to better ourselves, our futures and our communities. If we do not act soon we will continue to sacrifice the mental and physical health of low-income students, which makes it much harder to pursue and complete higher education. 

Join the movement to double the Pell Grant. 

For resources and ways of getting involved, visit doublepell.org and letsgotocollegeca.org. 

Set Up to Fail: The Reality of Housing Insecurity Amongst College Students

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By Let’s Go Basic Needs Fellow: Julianne Jamir

College: University of California San Diego

Housing insecurity and homelessness amongst college students are more prevalent than ever. According to the 2019 #RealCollege annual survey conducted by The Hope Center for California Community Colleges, 60% of community college students experience housing insecurity and 19% experience homelessness. At the University of California 16% of students experience housing insecurity and 5% experience homelessness. In the case of Cal State University students, the 2018 CSU Basic Needs Study found that 10.9% of students experience homelessness. This is an absurd amount; however, since housing insecurity and homelessness can manifest in many ways, it is possible that a percentage of college students did not participate in these studies because they were unaware that they experienced housing insecurity.

Most California colleges only guarantee on-campus housing for the first two years,  which means that all students have to seek off-campus housing at some point. Some students start even earlier because on-campus housing is unaffordable, especially for low-income students and undocumented students. That being said, the most common causes of housing insecurity and homelessness amongst college students are the impractical requirements that landlords demand and the affordability of rent. 

First, the majority of off-campus housing apartments require renters to have a credit score of at least 650 or higher but in order to be approved for a credit card, a reliable source of income plays a huge role. This requirement is impractical considering that most students would have just started working and building their credit scores at this time. Additionally, landlords require proof of income that is double and sometimes even triple the amount of rent. College students tend to work part-time, minimum-wage jobs because of their hectic schedules or lack of experience. 

These requirements present unnecessary challenges that set up students to fail in securing stable housing throughout their time in college. The second reason why housing insecurity and homelessness is prevalent amongst college students is the affordability of rent. This is dependent on location but because of rising living costs and prices in California, most colleges are considered unaffordable. 

For example, the University of California San Diego is located in La Jolla, which is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in San Diego. To offer a better picture, a single bedroom apartment in La Jolla usually ranges from $2000-$3000, not including utilities and other bills students would have to pay monthly, which average around $100 depending on usage. 

This forces students to choose between staying with their families, where they may be unable to focus on their studies (true with most low-income first generation students) or living with multiple roommates, of which some might reside in the living room. These options are used to alleviate the burden of monthly expenses; however, they are not always sustainable. These barriers prove how difficult it is for students to get safe and secure housing.

Overall, I believe that we as a community and the people in power need to do a better job with resolving these issues. No one should ever have to experience being housing insecure and/or homeless. All public institutions in California should increase affordable and guaranteed housing for students, especially for low-income and undocumented students. 

By doing so, it would not just help college students to get stable housing, it would also help when it comes to decreasing students’ list of worries so that they have more time to focus on getting their degree. Students would not have to worry so much about how they would pay rent and would actually have extra money for other basic necessities, such as food. As we know, food insecurity is highly likely to occur simultaneously with housing insecurity and homelesness. This prevents students from being in a position where they would have to choose whether to prioritize food over rent or vice versa.

College Students in Bakersfield Struggle to Keep Secure Housing

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By Let’s Go Basic Needs Fellow: Krystal Mae Raynes

College: Cal State University Bakersfield

In many parts of Bakersfield, we see homeless people push shopping carts and hold cardboard signs on street medians. Sometimes, we assume that these people have made bad decisions in their life and that their living situation is their fault. This image and assumption are what many people think of when talking about the topic of homelessness. However, homelessness has many faces; and today, many of them are college students, like me. 

College homelessness looks different from the textbook example we usually think of. College students usually experience homelessness when they find themselves sleeping in their cars or “couch surfing” – borrowing friends’ or families’ extra futons or couches for a week or two and then having to find another place to stay at. Both these situations fall under the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of homelessness, which includes “youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”. Dr. Jason Watkins, Assistant Director of Basic Needs for California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), describes student homelessness as “not making bad choices,” but as “a set of bad circumstances.”

Many college students in Bakersfield are first-generation or low-income – 65% CSUB students and 55% of Bakersfield College undergraduate students are on Pell Grant, a federal grant awarded to students who display exceptional financial need. According to a survey conducted by CSUB’s division of Student Affairs during the winter of 2020, about 7% of students – or approximately 770 students – faced homelessness. I am one of those students. As a CSUB student who has couch-surfed more than a few times during her college career, Dr. Watkin’s statements ring true with me. My first run-in with homelessness began because of an abusive household situation, and it took a few tries to get permanent housing. In the summer of 2020, I had to utilize CSUB’s emergency housing program for a month to get back on my feet. That time was absolutely critical to get me connected to the on-campus food pantry, mental health services, and fixed housing. Without it, I most likely would have had to drop out of school and delay my degree. In Dr. Watkins’ experience, the causes of homelessness in students are usually caused by instability in the home due to abuse or sudden changes to roommates’ contributions to rent. Dr. Watkins recalled an instance where a student had to utilize CSUB’s emergency housing because all of his roommates decided to move back home during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving him without a means to pay a full bill of rent. 

Although CSUB provides emergency housing and a meal plan for up to 30 days in their dormitories, students with families or pets fall through the cracks. In the short term, CSUB is looking to expand its hotel voucher program for students that wouldn’t be able to stay in the residence halls. The most important solution is within the community. Bakersfield residents can donate to CSUB’s emergency fund but most importantly, they can choose to support more affordable housing for college students. 

If students drop out due to homelessness, we lose on shared prosperity for our region. An economic impact report generated by the California State University system cited that in 2019, San Joaquin Valley CSU alumni generated $521 million in state and local tax revenue. When homelessness affects our students due to circumstances out of their control, it becomes our community’s loss. We need to understand the value of investing in affordable housing for our students, the majority of whom stay in Bakersfield and contribute to our growing economy.