Homelessness in Garages... US College Students Struggle with Soaring Housing Costs

Homelessness Among US College Students Due to Soaring Housing Costs
"High Housing Costs Threaten Public Education"

In the United States, an increasing number of prestigious university students are losing their places to live due to soaring housing costs. They are unable to find homes and end up living in converted garages or swimming pools, with some even resorting to homelessness.

On the 1st (local time), the US daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that in California, new housing supply has decreased over the past decade, causing rents near universities to skyrocket and negatively impacting nearby college students.

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According to the report, from July 2021 to April last year, 3,165 out of approximately 300,000 students across 10 campuses of the University of California (UC) struggled to find food and housing. This figure represents a 15% increase compared to the previous year.

The most severe housing problem is at the University of California Santa Cruz campus (UCSC). According to data from a 2020 survey conducted by the University of California Los Angeles campus (UCLA), 9% of UCSC undergraduates had experienced homelessness. This is the highest rate among UC campuses.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a US civic organization, Santa Cruz is the second most expensive rental area after San Francisco. Rent here reaches $1,300 to $1,500 per month (1.74 to 2 million KRW). Additionally, the housing problem has worsened due to the loss of 900 homes in the 2020 wildfires and an influx of workers relocating from San Francisco for remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Steven McKay, a sociology professor at UCSC, said, "Housing costs are so high that public education is under threat," adding, "Working-class students are facing really significant difficulties." According to Professor McKay, UCSC students are taking out loans to pay rent and temporarily living in 'illegal' residences such as garages or pool sheds.

UCSC has dormitory facilities that can accommodate 10,000 students, half of the total student body, but the housing crisis remains unresolved, prompting plans to expand dormitories. UCSC is reportedly planning to build dormitories to accommodate an additional 3,700 students by the fall of 2028. However, the dormitory expansion faces potential cancellation due to opposition from local residents.

Laura Chapel, who has lived at UCSC for 13 years as an undergraduate, staff member, and graduate student and has moved 13 times, said she wanted to remain at the school as a professor after earning her doctorate but gave up due to housing issues. Living with six roommates in a house near UCSC infested with termites and rats, Chapel said, "I don't want to struggle with housing problems for another 4 to 5 years as a postdoctoral researcher."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.