Cal Poly Humboldt, one of the campuses in the California State University system, is home to students who struggle with the rising costs of higher education and housing in California. Many students, like journalism student Brad Butterfield, live in RVs or other vehicles on campus due to affordability issues. Butterfield and other students have faced challenges when school officials enforced a prohibition on overnight camping on campus in November 2023. Butterfield emphasized that living in vehicles is a more affordable option for him to attend college, especially with the recent tuition increase in the CSU system.
The 2020 UCLA report revealed that one in 10 students in the CSU system have experienced homelessness. Some students at Cal Poly Humboldt, who previously parked overnight on campus, are now struggling to find off-campus parking for their RVs due to restrictions in the surrounding area. Recent graduate Maddy Montiel, who lives in an RV named “Pearl,” expressed the difficulty of finding a place to park her vehicle to sleep. Despite challenges like parking tickets and relocation issues, students like Montiel and Butterfield continue to face uncertainty in finding a safe space to exist.
Cal Poly Humboldt cited the “health and safety of the campus community” as reasons for enforcing parking restrictions on students living in vehicles. With limited resources and options, biology student Carrie, who lives in a refurbished school bus, emphasized the humanitarian crisis that students are facing due to the high cost of tuition. In response to the housing insecurity issue, California legislators introduced AB 1818, a bill that aims to establish pilot programs for students using vehicles as housing to park overnight on campuses with a valid parking permit. This bill highlights the need for institutions to actively contribute to solving the homelessness crisis among college students.
Assemblymembers Corey Jackson and Sharon Quirk-Silva, the co-authors of AB 1818, stressed the importance of supporting students facing housing insecurity and ensuring they are not penalized while pursuing stable housing. The bill moves to the California Assembly Floor for a vote, reflecting a state priority in addressing the housing crisis among college students. Despite challenges and obstacles, students living in vehicles at Cal Poly Humboldt demonstrate resilience and determination in pursuing their education. They emphasize their choice to live in vehicles as a testament to their dedication to achieving a college degree and their desire to be part of the academic community.
