Many American students are homeless, living their days in cars
Long Beach City College (LBCC) is a school located south of Los Angeles (USA). Here, the school allows at least 8 students to sleep in cars in the on-campus parking lot. It may sound strange, but this is a regulation put in place to help students who can’t afford to buy or rent a house.
The Guardian reports that the school’s parking lot has security, Wi-Fi and bathrooms. Although the utility is still limited, it is also considered a safer option than living on the street – where there is always the fear of being robbed or being recorded by the police.
This semester, 98 students confirmed to be experiencing homelessness, the program manager said. Of these, at least 25 were forced to live in cars.
Lack of living space is a headache on many college and university campuses across the United States. California is one of the states that stands out for its inequality and housing crisis. The high cost of rent and living has pushed many young people in the US into a difficult life.
A 2017 survey by the University of California – Berkeley found that 10% of students said they had experienced a period of homelessness. This crisis is more acute than in California, which enrolls nearly 2 million students each year. Most of these come from financially unstable families.
A 2019 statewide census showed that 19% of college students in California experienced homelessness and 60% felt unsafe because of housing problems. People of color and the LGBTQ community are at higher risk of housing insecurity than their peers.
While serving as LBCC’s student body vice president in 2014, Majeedah Wesley still lived in a homeless youth shelter in Hollywood, about 2 hours away by public transport from campus.
After she told this story, many people were surprised because they thought homelessness only happens to people with no economic conditions. However, anyone can fall into that situation if something goes wrong or doesn’t pay the rent in time.
With only a little money in the account and not enough to rent an apartment near the school, Wesley decided to stay at the youth center. In addition to going to school, she also works part-time to cover living expenses.
Meanwhile, Leeann (21) said many of her friends also lived in precarious housing situations. In her family, children have to be independent and move out when they are 18 years old. During the first two years of college, Leeann worked part-time so he could pay $800 in monthly rent.
She was then admitted to the LBCC’s nursing program. Because the subjects were more difficult, she had to work less to spend more time studying. Besides, she also moved in with a few friends to save money on rent.
For Leeann, a nursing degree is a sustainable way to get her out of financial turmoil. Leeann said her friends and family were generous enough to let her stay for weeks at a time.
Leeann studied at the kitchen table of a friend’s family (Photo: Internet).
Even so, not having her own space was also very inconvenient for her. “The house doesn’t have a quiet area to study and work. I always feel guilty for staying up late with the lights on. Homelessness comes in many different forms. Just because someone looks clean, educated doesn’t mean they’re not. experiencing financial hardship, including becoming homeless,” Leeann said.
A 2020 survey of 195,000 college students across the US still studying during the pandemic found that 14% have experienced housing hardship. They don’t like being called homeless because their car is their home.
Source: Guardian
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