Along with the typical burdens that a college student may face, housing has been a roadblock for many students to achieve their educational goals.
According to its November 2022 Finance Bulletin, the California Department of Finance found that the median price of a single-family home in the state is $821,680. Community college students in particular are vulnerable to costly housing. A 2021 #RealCollege survey found that 52 percent of community college students faced some form of housing insecurity, and 14 percent experienced homelessness.
“Housing insecurity is complicated. There is no singular factor,”said Delta College Basic Needs Project Manager Ana Villegas. “Inflation, limited affordable housing, and the pandemic all contributed to students not having secure housing. There is also the extra burden of being a student. It’s difficult to receive a living wage while trying to succeed in school.”
Delta has been trying to help students with housing through various services.
There is access to EOPS/CARE, a state-funded program that offers qualifying students financial support if they take enough classes. CalWORKS is another assistance program that helps TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients find steady employment. Neither of these programs are focused on affordable housing specifically, but they help alleviate the pressure that low-income students may face.
“If students come in asking for help with housing, we can refer them to other agencies that we work with,” said Katrina Jaggears, a resource specialist with CalWORKS. “We look at a student’s current situation and go from there.”
One option for students looking for affordable housing is the Fair Housing Rental List. The list is created by the San Joaquin Fair Housing Inc. and tracks the amount of affordable rental units in San Joaquin County. The main problem with the list is it can be inefficient in helping renters. The list only states what affordable housing is available, and doesn’t help with any costs that could come with renting. The list is also only available in English, which may discourage non-English speakers from using it.
Another way to find housing is by searching for developers who focus on affordable housing. Applications are typically much more streamlined since the units are managed by a single company. Finding developers can be challenging, and may require a level of Internet literacy to find.
For students who are experiencing homelessness, there are other steps to take before housing can become a possibility.
HousingWORKS offers CalWORKS recipients with finding temporary housing. The program can also help with securing housing by paying security deposit and rent, for a limited time. HousingWORKS cannot benefit every student experiencing homelessness. To receive aid, students must be in the CalWORKS program, which only offers help to students with children.
There is also the question of whether or not Delta could try to build student housing on campus.
The idea has been around for a while. Former Vice President of Student Services Dr. Lisa Cooper Wilkins presented the question to the Board of Trustees in February 2020.
“There are currently no concrete plans to build housing,” said Villegas. “It takes a lot to begin seriously planning for that, but we are hopeful.”
Students are encouraged to be constantly looking for help from both local and state programs.
“Things are always changing,” said Jaggears. “And that means that students have to be always alert in case anything that can help may come their way.”
