State Bill To Allow College Students To Sleep In Cars On Campus

PALO ALTO, CA -- It's true. "That which does not kill us makes us stronger," -- Friedrich Nietzshe.

Just ask Matthew Bodo, who shared with Patch that one of the biggest challenges he faces attending Foothill Community College in Los Altos Hills may involve what happens out of class and now what happens in state government with a new bill to help homeless students.

The psychology and communication major carryies 15 units and works up to 30 hours a week at an Italian restaurant in town. But after a falling out with his father a while ago, he ended up with no place to live except within his Ford Mustang.

To put this into perspective, Bodo stands over 6 feet tall. As the day gave way to night, he would park in safe neighborhoods and throw the front seat down to stretch out as much as he could. The nights of neck pain were anything but restful. Bodo never experienced a criminal incident or a near-miss of one, but he was often startled by a tap on the window inches from his face.

"The little things scared me because I'm paranoid. I didn't need to hear what they were saying. I just knew they didn't want me there," he said of the homeowners. "A lot of them don't have a grasp of who homeless people really are."

The 21-year-old man, who grew up in Los Altos, now shares a half room at a house with a dozen other people.

He tried parking on campus. The security guard that showed up on occasion "was understanding" but made it clear his vehicle could not be considered a full-time home.

California Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, wants to change all that.

Berman has introduced a bill that authorizes community colleges to grant the use of their campus parking lots to allow homeless students to stay overnight in their vehicles as of July 1, 2020. The students enrolled in good standing will also need access to the restroom facilities and showers.

The bill passed the Assembly Higher Education committee last week by a 10-0 vote with two members abstaining. It heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee in mid May.

"We cannot turn a blind eye. This seems like a logical move. Many of these students work and are trying to improve their skills. We want to create safe parking lots. (Otherwise), they're very vulnerable to predators where they're sleeping in dark alleyways. That's where most are at risk," Berman told Patch.

The declaration is representative of a bigger picture that plagues Santa Clara County as one of the most expensive places to live on the planet.

"We have failed as a society to build enough housing for people to live here," Berman said.

Aside from the struggling students' plights, the cities of Mountain View and San Jose illustrate that notion in trying to find safe places for their overall homeless populations.

AB302 also proposes reimbursement for "certain costs" associated with such a mandate including the additional funds necessary for added security. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for costs as state mandates. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making those reimbursements.

Berman admitted many campuses would need to beef up their security.

"Most (colleges) have overnight security. Maybe they'll have to make more rounds," he said.

A study conducted on the more than 40,000 students attending 57 California community colleges found that half the students didn't know where the next meal is coming from. Sixty percent was insecure about housing and 19 percent has been homeless within the last year.

The majority of these students work.

"Like most American undergraduates, California community college students experiencing basic
needs insecurity are overwhelmingly part of the labor force. For example, the vast majority (84 percent) of students who experience food insecurity are employed or looking for work. Similarly,
the majority of students who experience housing insecurity or homelessness are employed or
looking for work. Also, among working students, those who experience basic needs insecurity
work more hours than other students," the study read.

The assessment of disparity proves one either has the wealth or doesn't.

More information from the student can be found here.

For the San Jose Evergreen Community College district campuses, the plight of being in need is devastating. According to a recent local study, the Evergreen campus reports that:

• 44.8 percent - not enough food
• 59.6 percent - not adequate housing
• 15.4 percent - homeless

At the San Jose Community College campus, the numbers are even more staggering, respectively:

• 52.5 percent
• 68.2 percent
• 25.2 percent

"Clearly, this is going to take some out-of-the-box thinking," San Jose Evergreen Community College District spokesman Ryan Brown told Patch. "The logistics are yet to be worked out. While we certainly are in support of finding solutions for students dealing with housing, in terms of what that would look like, we logistically don't know."