Foster, homeless college students in WA could get more housing support
OLYMPIA — Charles Adkins remembers when he was asked to pay $700 to stay at the dorms at The Evergreen State College during his freshman year. He panicked because he didn’t know where he’d be able to stay since he couldn’t afford it.
He was still wearing the clothes he received from the youth homeless shelter he lived in before and didn’t have a laptop.
“I was so stressed. I was failing college [worrying about] not having money to pay rent,” Adkins said.
As a student lobbyist in 2018, Adkins worked to create a bill to support students experiencing homelessness and students that have aged out of the foster care system.
It took a few years, but now that idea could become permanent. State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, is sponsoring Senate Bill 5702, which allows public institutions like community and technical colleges and four-year institutions to create their own plan to address the needs of their students from housing to food insecurity, because data from a pilot program, launched in 2019, shows how successful it is in supporting basic needs and allowing students to finish their programs.
The bill passed the Senate on March 2 on a 46-3 vote and is in the House for consideration.
Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, said he opposed it because he doesn’t want to leave taxpayers on the hook for funding the program in perpetuity.
“I hope the funding issue will be addressed in the House or if the bill is returned to the Senate,” Wagoner said.
A survey in January revealed that almost half of Washington college students have experienced food or housing insecurity in the last year, and it was more common at two-year colleges.
Those experiencing housing insecurity said they were unable to pay rent or utility bills. They also reported sleeping at friends’ or relatives’ places, in cars, outside, or in shelters.
“There are so many assumptions that are made about people going to college, assuming you have a family supporting you,” Adkins said.
Adkins became homeless at age 15 after a fight with his father. Throughout high school, he lived on the streets or couch surfed before he ended up in a homeless youth center in Everett.
Adkins said he received more homelessness support during his K-12 educational career, including a case manager. Many Washington high school students don’t have that.
Washington leads the country in identifying homeless students, but received the least amount of federal funding earmarked to support them in the 2018-19 school year.
K-12 student homelessness is linked to lower graduation rates, higher rates of suspension or expulsion, and homelessness as an adult.
And many college students get even less support.
State Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, who was Adkins’ high school counselor, revived his bill in 2019, creating the Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness pilot program.
The program has doubled from its initial figure of two community technical colleges and two four-year institutions and colleges. These colleges are from different parts of the state. Colleges received from $93,000 to $108,000 or more in funding, with extra added in the 2021 legislative session.
The Washington Student Achievement Council reported that over three years, 2,500 students experiencing homelessness or who aged out of the foster care system were served by the program. More than 90% of students at four-year institutions and 85% of students at two-year institutions completed the quarter in which they received help from Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness.
“The intent of the pilot was to understand the need, promising strategies and persistence of students who were served,” said Ami Magisos, associate director for policy and planning at the Washington Student Achievement Council. “Now that we have three years’ worth of data, there is a high number of students eligible and served and have the persistence.”
Magisos said they measure persistence from when the student initially sought support to when they finished their program.
