Analysis of an Article Based on Affordable Housing Among Community College Students
Analysis of an Article Based on Affordable Housing Among Community College Students
Analysis of an Article Based on Affordable Housing Among Community College Students
The costs required to complete a college education in the United States are staggeringly
high. Alongside this, the cost includes housing and living expenses. With national inflation rates
in major cities, students are not spared from the impacts. The article by Raul Rodriguez titled
Rodríguez: San Jose needs affordable student housing dichotomizes the problem relating to
student accommodation as a major issue. California is one of the worst-hit states, with many
community colleges failing to provide sufficient student housing. The impacts of high costs have
rendered students homeless, which eventually impacts their grades and rates of completion. As a
result, affordable student housing is vital for increased performance, a sense of belonging, and
safety for students.
The Problem Discussed in the Article
Many community college students in California experience hardships associated with a
lack of housing. According to Rodriguez (2023), 20% of homeless students in 2020 California
were homeless. While homelessness is associated with hard economic times and a lack of
sustainable employment for many non-student citizens, it is mainly influenced by internal factors
in community colleges. Ideally, students cannot afford the high rent costs around college
campuses as these settings are subject to inflation patterns. The author provides comparative data
where before the 2020 report on student homelessness, they were up to 25% and 15% cases of
homelessness for San Jose City College and Evergreen Valley College in 2018 (Rodriguez,
2023). Although there is a slight reduction, the problem persists. Student homelessness is a
phenomenon that cuts across many colleges with dreaded impacts. The author posits that these
are the same students who perform dismally compared to others, graduate late, and sometimes
fail to complete their studies (Rodriguez, 2023). On a broader scale, the problem of affordable
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housing in the cities that house these colleges contributes to broader public policy problems
regarding how they are developed and implemented. It is a problem transcending beyond the
rising inflation rates for many Americans.
The Conclusions of the Author
Engaging the state government in approving funding for affordable student housing is a
long-term solution. Since the housing crisis in California community colleges revealed that only
eleven out of one-hundred and sixteen colleges provide student housing, the solution to lobby the
government to provide annual assistance will go a long way. Rodriguez (2023) provides that the
Californian government committed to supporting the colleges through the 2023/2024 financial
budget of $2 billion over three years. Allocating the funding will be based on constructing
affordable accommodation units within colleges to allow the students to excel. The criterion for
selecting the beneficiaries of the funding are community colleges with increased student
populations being homeless currently and in the previous years (Rodriguez, 2023). Furthermore,
the significance of this solution depicts advantages ranging from sustained solutions for three
years. That is enough time for many community college students to complete two-to-three-year
diplomas and degrees. The significant relevance of the solution is that housing students within
campuses create a reality of belonging as a student and with others (Rodriguez, 2023). Shared
college experiences provide satisfaction that complements achievements in life. However, lack
of housing births negative attributions of college life when students suffer because they secure
residence throughout their college years.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Arguments of the Author
The strength of the arguments of the author is based on the identification of the cause and
effect type of report. A cause-and-effect report exemplifies the problem and its subsequent
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solution. Rodriguez (2023), in the introduction of the article, describes the number of college
students affected over the years by the inflation in student rents in California. He validates the
arguments using previous research by renowned research agencies such as the 2021 California
Assembly and Hope Center at Temple University (Rodriguez, 2023). The findings of these
supporting groups address the insights into the problem in the article. Additionally, the strength
of the arguments is balanced by the solution provided through support from the state
government. The Higher Education Housing Grant is the solution. In summary, the stre
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