[By Guancha Observer Network, Chen Sijia] "How serious is California's housing crisis?" Politico Europe reported on April 13 that in the past year, about a quarter of community college students in California have faced homelessness. In order to alleviate the housing crisis and student stress, Democratic lawmakers in California are seeking an alarming 'remedial measure': requiring schools to help these students sleep in their cars.
In recent years, affected by issues such as high mortgage rates, skyrocketing house prices, and insufficient housing supply, California has been facing a severe housing crisis. Due to California's rent being more than 30% higher than the national average, an increasing number of residents are struggling to afford high housing costs, leading to a growing number of homeless people in the state.
The impact of the housing crisis on student groups is particularly evident. The report stated that in California's community college system, most community colleges do not provide student dormitories, and those providing dormitories often lack sufficient capacity, forcing them to place students exceeding the limit on housing waiting lists. Last year, there were also approximately 4,000 students on the housing waiting list in the California State University system.
In order to alleviate the housing crisis in California, the California State Legislature has proposed about six proposals this year, calling for funding for students or relaxing building regulations, but these measures cannot help students who are currently struggling to make ends meet. Politico Europe reported that in the past year, about a quarter of California's community college students have fallen into homelessness, with many students forced to sleep in their cars.
Democratic lawmakers in the state legislature had to seek legislative approval for a 'simple but shocking remedial measure', requiring schools to assist students sleeping in their cars. Corey Jackson, a state legislator, said he proposed temporary measures to address the worst-case scenarios, requiring the California Community College and State University systems to develop night parking plans for students.
Jackson pointed out that without school-approved campus parking plans, students would only be able to park and sleep outside the campus.
California students living in RVs - Politico Europe
Some schools in California have already implemented similar pilot projects. For example, Long Beach Community College has 40,000 students and has never provided student dormitories. In 2021, the school found over 70 students living in cars, forcing the leadership to urgently launch a safe parking pilot project.
Mike Muñoz, president of Long Beach Community College, said the safe parking program aims to address current urgent needs, and the school hopes to enter into a contract to provide 422 student dormitory beds by 2028. Muñoz admitted that he experienced housing difficulties during his time at university, sometimes having to sleep in his car, "I know how it feels."
Long Beach Community College invests $200,000 annually in the safe parking program, designating spaces in the main campus parking lot for students. Participating students can use restrooms, showers, and Wi-Fi on campus. Among the 34 students who used the program in the 2023-24 academic year, 22 stayed until last fall, with half of them eligible for scholarships.
Since no "emergency incidents requiring on-site security" or safety concerns have occurred at the school, the safety of the related students is mainly handled by campus police. However, Muñoz said he was unsure if the experience at his school could apply to the entire state, as each school's ability to "provide safe space for students" varies.
Currently, the bill proposed by Jackson has passed the Higher Education Committee of the California Assembly, but the bill still faces质疑 from many people, including Democratic lawmakers. Darshana Patel, a Democratic state legislator, said that allowing students to sleep in their cars requires "continuous monitoring," and she expressed concern about privacy issues involved in the bill.
Nune Garipian, policy and advocacy manager of the California Community College Association, believed that many schools have already provided "temporary housing services" including hotel vouchers, rent subsidies, and cooperation with non-profit organizations. She argued that Jackson's proposed bill might inadvertently divert funds from existing programs.
Garipian said, "Establishing a nighttime student parking plan requires substantial funding and administrative resources to ensure students have safe, clean, and secure places to rest at night. Unfortunately, our universities do not have these resources available."
Both the California State University and Community College Systems oppose Jackson's bill due to lack of funding and the absence of long-term solutions to the housing crisis. However, Jackson and his supporters emphasized that the state legislature could implement temporary measures while formulating long-term solutions, "This is just a way to alleviate the harsh reality we face."
Ivan Hernandez, chairman of the Student Senate of the California Community College System, said they will support the bill, "We are working to ensure that our students feel safe during these difficult times."
However, Politico Europe pointed out that in recent years, the California Legislature has repeatedly proposed similar bills, most of which have ended up going nowhere. In 2019, Democratic state legislators proposed a bill requiring community colleges to allow students to stay overnight in campus parking lots, but the bill was shelved. Last year, Jackson proposed a multi-million dollar bill, which was ultimately rejected by the state Senate Appropriations Committee.
In fact, such housing crisis issues are not only present in California but also困扰 American residents across the country. A Democratic think tank, the Center for American Progress, pointed out in a report on April 10 that according to the 2023 community survey, nearly 52% of American renters spend more than 30% of their gross income on rent, which is considered the level of "overburdened" by housing experts.
The report stated that after the U.S. real estate bubble burst in 2007, large numbers of contractors and construction workers left the residential construction industry, leading to a significant decline in U.S. housing construction. Economists from Freddie Mac estimated that by 2020, the U.S. nationwide was short of 3.8 million housing units, a figure that continues to expand.
Axios News previously reported that in December last year, the median price of homes in the top 50 metropolitan areas in the United States increased year-over-year, with ongoing housing supply shortages keeping prices high. Elijah de la Campa, senior economist at Redfin, a U.S. real estate transaction company, bluntly stated that affordable "housing havens" are becoming fewer and fewer in the U.S.
The New York Times noted that soaring housing costs make it difficult for U.S. residents to move to labor markets that need workers the most, reducing the productivity of American businesses. Rent increases also drive up U.S. inflation. Edward Glaeser, an economics professor at Harvard University, said that today, the housing crisis has become the greatest obstacle to Americans' pursuit of happiness.
This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493058120018477595/
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