Housing insecurity is prevalent among college students, particularly those in community colleges. Fourteen percent of community college students surveyed in 2022 experienced housing insecurity--defined as a circumstance that makes losing permanent housing (e.g., missing a rent payment or living in an overcrowded environment) more likely. A 2019 survey conducted by the Hope Lab in California found that nearly one in five community college students experienced homelessness - defined as living situations such as couch surfing, living in a car or motel, or living outside. 

Several factors make housing and homelessness a significant problem for college students. These include rising tuition, lack of affordable housing, and financial aid that doesn’t cover the costs of food, gas, and childcare. Many students are also reluctant to seek help, often because of trust issues, from student support services on campus and within the community from social services. 

“Our friends and neighbors who are experiencing homelessness have incredibly complex circumstances, which is why many people pass an encampment and feel that complexity and are stunned with the inability to do something that feels like it is going to move the needle,” says Pamela Sepulveda, a case manager at Cerritos College in California, U.S. “As a social worker, I would ask people, rather than be overwhelmed by the entirety of the issue, to find that space where you can make an impact and do that well. That is how we chip away at a very large complex issue. That’s the approach many community colleges, including here at Cerritos College, are taking as we look to remove barriers for our own student populations.” 

Find out how Cerritos College and two other community colleges are addressing homelessness on their own campuses.