Affordable housing has been an issue for many people for a number of years. Today is no different. In a 2016 report issued by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, “In no state, metropolitan area, or county can a full-time worker earning the prevailing minimum wage afford a modest two bedroom apartment.” Obtaining housing can be difficult for the working class, but even more difficult for college students and people who are unemployed. Solving housing issues nationwide has proven to be too large of a task for any organization to handle. The possible solution should start locally. With the cooperation of universities, communities and cities, a program for affordable housing can be made more easily …show more content…
Obtaining a higher education usually results in higher paying careers which leads to financial stability. Many university students are young adults who don't have much in respect of money. They are in the process of transitioning from their parent's homes to living on their own. The cost of living alone proves to be overwhelming for many young students. In an attempt to ease financial burdens, students often choose to find roommates to share the costs. When living with others there are always the possibilities of unexpected issues that require roommates to part ways. This has the potential of leaving the student homeless. When a student finds themselves in such a situation, their academic performances have the potential to rapidly decline. Most universities don't have a program for homeless students. They tend to fall through the cracks. As stated in the article, Homeless on Campus, Mary Gesing, a counselor at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa agrees. "Nothing formal exists for this population, and the number of homeless students on campus is not tracked." she says. Because of this statistical gap, programs are not devised to accommodate homeless students or address their needs. A proposed solution to this problem would be for universities to link up with the city-wide housing program. The university would have the ability to automatically enroll a student into the program. They would also offer several options for students to pay for the housing. The student could work on campus for housing credits or they could choose to have housing billed to their