The hidden problem of homelessness on college campuses
[2023-05-15 07:23:14]
A 23 year old Alejandro Reyes may be fully integrated on the UCLA campus, but he keeps secrets to most of his classmates. He is homeless. His school locker is his wardrobe. He polished his teeth in a public toilet, and in some cases slept on the sofa of the campus library, which is open 24 hours a day.
"I truly believe that I go to a different school, their houses are on the hill, they have everything they need, which is not UCLA I did." Vince. "I was actually in my car in the first quarter of this year, this is where my clothes are, and everything I need on a certain day."
However, after a car accident, a homeless shelter located several miles from the campus is his only choice.
According to the US Department of Education, in 2017 at least 32,000 college students are homeless.
Reyes wants to go to the medical department someday and become an orthopedic surgeon. His annual tuition fee at UCLA is about $ 13,000 including funding, student loans, and campus work.
Serifa Dela Cruz, UCLA 's economic crisis manager, said:
This is not just housing problems. A student's study at the University of California's ten campus showed that 48% of the lower grades lacked food and had to eat. In order to solve this problem, UCLA has a grocery store on campus where students can pick up items for free - no problem
"The problem of a homeless at a university is that the university does not know whether we exist or not to make us noticeable," Reyes said.
The shelter where Reyes lived still exists, and his time has run out. But he will not graduate until 2020
Last week, when we showed hunger and homelessness in higher education, I remembered how realistic this issue is at university campuses across the country, including Colorado. Hunger and homeless affect campuses in rural and urban areas, but the impact on low-income groups and first-generation students is particularly serious. These problems are often intertwined. According to a nationwide survey, about 65% of students who are concerned about food have reported some kind of housing anxiety. Half of community college students have reported that they are experiencing food insecurity in the past 30 days and over 20% think that food is insufficient to meet the needs of starvation
According to the National Homeless Children Youth Education Association (NAEHCY) estimate in the United States, there are approximately 58,000 homeless students on the university campus. A survey of undergraduate undergraduate food and housing concerns in the United States showed that half of the community college students are dealing with food and housing concerns. I answered that 20% of respondents were hungry and 13% said they were homeless. These numbers are numerous, but as many students are reluctant to ask for support, they may be missing. With this in mind, universities and universities need to create supportive environments for homeless students.
For university students throughout the country, including 23 campuses at California State University, unsafe houses such as homelessness, difficulty paying rents and public utility charges, or having to travel many times is a problem. According to a survey conducted by Colorado State University on the student's basic needs in February, 10.9% of Colorado State University students reported that they had one or more homeless people last year. Studies published by educational researchers show that at least a third of college students of two-year and 19% of 4-year school students face housing anxiety. This study, published in December, used data from four surveys conducted by the HOPE laboratory of Wisconsin and its affiliates. Includes responses from 121 universities and 2 th graders and 4 th graders over 30 thousand.