AJ

In my story, it's the beginning that you don't quite know what's happening next and that's kind of the bad thing about it. You tell the Freshmen class that, "Yeah, you're going to be in the dorms," but right after that they have to apply for the next year of housing that's either by lottery number or they're trying to be off campus and they don't get first come first serve anymore. It's all random. So, it's a lot harder because students don't know about it until just probably around this time, in March, when they're trying to think about all of the things that they have to do next. And it's really stressful because you only have 8 weeks before the semester is over. 

 

If you are already in college you're already kind of feeling that independence factor and you're already building your community with other people and they're thinking the same things as you. For example, if you have really good friendships, then you want to live with them in the future, that kind of thing. So, I feel like you're able to have a path of resiliency just because you have that community and I feel like it exists because everyone shares the same ideas.

 

There are many solutions to build on, such as developing buildings for returning students or repurposing more dorms for returning students even if it's on the Freshman side of campus is definitely going to help. Also, because parking permits are definitely expensive, some type of overnight parking or if there was more guaranteed spots for people with RV’s and cars people are sleeping in would be another solution.

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This is the housing event that HSU’s EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) supplies that goes over everything about the process of living off campus, what to do next, agreements, applications, fees. They break down how budgeting can go through with the different parts of off-campus housing such as, food, PG&E, garbage, all of that kind of thing. So it implements all the different processes together. 

 

I feel like these events kind of open everyone's eyes from the dorms or for the people who continued to live on campus but they can't handle it financially anymore. I feel this is the time when everyone's eyes become open because they're like, "Oh yeah, I've had the life of being able to be on campus, but now that I'm not able to anymore. What's next?”

 

I feel like there should be more property managements that are working specifically with campus housing or with any other programs that are working on this kind of issue. Because I know for EOP, it's the low-income, the minority, that kind of thing, so it's kind of like their spectrum of priority. But I feel like a lot more programs should be implementing these kinds of issues. I know having that stigma of being homeless kind of has the uncomfortability aspect to it. So, I feel like actually going to these events, actually going to resources is kind of like building yourself up to be comfortable about it, to speak about it and find other people who are just like you and relate to that kind of experience. We should have a lot more events like this on campus and for students. No matter what year they are and I think definitely even implementing this for Spring Preview, I think is really going to be beneficial because they only know about the dorms and they do tours for the dorms but they don't really have presentations like this other than I think FAFSA and stuff like that. So I think would definitely help and give also the parents something to think about when letting their children attend this university. 

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If you're couch surfing or you are sleeping in your car, that kind of thing, you're able to have that carpool parking only option and what I've heard is that all you need is three people in your car and then they just look at the people in there and you just get the permit.

 

I feel like this is the only kind of space you get towards the south side of campus and it doesn't really help to just have this certain amount of spaces for carpool because I feel like even if you're not homeless, people are carpooling all the time or you know people are picking up friends and other students all the time. I feel like this space would be more beneficial for people who are living in their car or are couch surfing because it just makes it easier; it gives you kind of more of a breather from the aspect that you are couch-surfing or you are living in your car. It kind of gives you something, like another option to kind of break away from that mindset. You know, I feel like, to me, it kind of makes you feel like a normal student, you're still able to access resources just as much as other students who do have on campus housing so what I think is that resiliency it's like, I'm still able to access these resources just as much as other people and I know a lot of people don't even know about this carpool parking.  I definitely feel like having that parking space or having more overnight, like even if it's carpool or non-carpool just having that space would help normalize the space we have on campus for all the homeless students who are having a hard time accessing resources.