Written by Diego Estrada
When envisioning the college experience, a typical university comes to mind. One with towering buildings, research centers, and most notably dorm rooms. Community colleges in California, however seldomly these meet these standards; leaving commuters to suffer in quiet agony amongst one of the worst housing crises the state has experienced.
In a city where, according to the San Diego Community College District, 21% of the students readily reply that they do not have a stable place to live, the question of how to house the bright youth is on the table. Recent debates have sprouted up in areas such as Santa Rosa Junior College where amid the poverty filled LA atmosphere, and they actively encourage alternative housing for their students. The majority of feeder schools across the state are less accommodating, however. A simple google search will show you that out of the 114 California Community colleges, only 11 have provided dorm rooms for their students.
The status quo for these colleges is on thin ice with many schools planning to beef up infrastructure in the upcoming years. Orange Coast College has recently been adding an 800 size student apartment complex, showing either the trend for more student resources or the worsening of the Democrat-controlled living crisis. In either case, changes are coming for the California education system.
While the housing situation gets settled, many schools offer more resources and opportunities until we collectively decide on the trajectory and spirit of the colleges today. Students might find overnight parking or access to public-private housing plans as more expedient solutions. The ultimate goal would be to transform the current community colleges into a pre-university. With the addition of more student centers, resources, and students, the path of the community college seems paved.
Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang
