CAMPUS
STORY BY
MARTA KONARSKA
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY
NEWS
BRE CASTAÑEDA
NOWHERE TO SLEEP: The district board and college centers are taking steps to offer support for students who lack permanent housing.
HOMELESS STRUGGLE ON CAMPUS
A
t least one in 10 Santa Ana College students doesn't have a
permanent place to live. But not everyone is on the streets. A recent
survey by the college's Research Department indicates that the
majority of homeless students spend nights in their vehicle, basement,
friend’s house or in a motel. Not including those who are only a paycheck
away from having no roof over their heads.
“Santa Ana College recognizes
that homelessness is a major social
issue as well as a concern for our
college community,” Vice President
of Student Services Vaniethia
Hubbard said.
Homeless students enrolled at SAC
can look for resources ranging from
food to hygiene and assistance
in the Financial Aid Office, Health
and Wellness Center, Veteran’s
Resource Center and through
CalWorks. They can also use
campus showers while the Rancho
Santiago Community
College District's Board of Trustees
is in the process of establishing
shower use regulations.
At the moment, students have
been allowed to use showers at
community colleges under an
assembly bill that went into effect
in 2017. Due to this bill, students are
granted shower access after they
verify their homelessness status
with school. SAC students can use
showers after approval from the
Financial Aid Office. This semester
10 people came forward to gain
access to the showers.
Last October, the board directed
Chancellor Marvin Martinez to
create more specific procedures, in
order to allow homeless students
who are enrolled at SAC to have
access to the locker showers.
The recent board policy is
attempting to simplify the
procedures so these students can
easily use the school's facilities.
“This is one of many efforts to
remove barriers for our students.
Hopefully, this policy will remove
an obstacle for some students to
attend class,” Hubbard said.
Additional financial support
for students experiencing
homelessness is available to those
who fill out the Independent Status
Confirmation - Unaccompanied
Homeless Youth form in the
Financial Aid Office.
According to Financial Aid
Associate Dean Robert Manson,
services for students vary by
situation and can be complicated
to navigate. Some homeless
students have to be younger
than 22 or 25 years old to receive
certain benefits. He said that the
Independent Status Confirmation
applies only for unaccompanied
students and people who are
homeless with a parent do not
qualify.
The Veteran’s Resource Center
and the Health and Wellness
Center are also helping students
by referring them to the housing
resources, shelters and giving
them hygiene kits.
“College is a stressful time for
everybody but adding to it the
inability to eat or not knowing
where to sleep, that impacts their
ability to perform well at school,”
said Rebecca Bernard, coordinator
of the Health and Wellness Center.
Jill Sorathia Kapil, a psychologist
from the Health and Wellness
Center, said that not having a
safe environment and an ongoing
place to live can impact students’
emotions, stress levels and lead to
depression. In her opinion, regular
sleep and meals are helpful to
cope.
“Homelessness is just one
component that can impact mental
health,” Kapil said.
Students can apply for monthly
benefits through CalFresh, a state-
funded financial aid program for
food. The school also created The
Housing and Food Resource Guide,
which lists many of these free
assets around Santa Ana.
Hubbard recognizes that the
stigma may put real difficulties in
finding all of the housing insecure
students who need help.
“We understand that it is not easy
for students to share their personal
situation yet there are faculty and
staff on campus to help connect
with nearby resources,” she said.
el Don Santa Ana College · December 2019
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