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Phillip Moffitt, a meditation teacher and author, once said, “A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.” For college students in California, having a home feels more of a privilege in an increasingly insecure environment every day. At Pasadena City College, there is a place where people can come to shelter the body and comfort the soul. 

Lancercare is the leading resource and servicing center at Pasadena City College. Its primary function is to assist PCC’s students in meeting their basic needs. One of their primary services for students is housing. PCC offers various resources for students with different housing situations, and an abundance of options could make a huge difference. 

“A lot of our resources are community resources, so we have community partnerships we work with,” said Selsley Lewis, basic needs director for Lancercare at PCC. “But our goal is to work with them to find something that’s more permanent because, as a community college, we don’t have student housing.” 

Lewis said that, on average, at least five to six students visit Lancercare weekly regarding housing insecurity. Students who visit face housing displacement or potential eviction; all visits are case-by-case.

Housing and homelessness are crucial issues for college students in California, and the situation is only getting worse.  A UCLA report indicated that one in five community college students face homelessness, with the majority of them being black and Latino students. Forty-eight percent of K-12 students increased in California. In a survey by the California Student Aid Commission done in May of 2023 for college students in the state, a staggering fifty-three percent of respondents stated they were housing insecure, with sixty-five percent of community college students. The same report analyzes how students use various resources to meet their daily needs, including financial aid, credit cards, and food assistance. 

“Faced with ever-growing expenses, students are forced to consider a variety of options when it comes to covering their basic needs while pursuing higher education,” the survey said. 

California’s housing crisis is growing, and over 100,000 thousand residents are homeless. It’s so bad that people are leaving the state in droves to afford cheaper housing. Cities are taking the initiative to tackle the issue of homelessness in their way. 

The city of Pasadena is beginning a collaborative effort with the nonprofit Door of Hope this year. On Monday, Feb 26, 2024, the council approved two agenda items that involved working with the Door of Hope. First, a grant of $787,000 was given to serve families with children at risk of homelessness. Second, the finance committee already approved working with Door of Hope on a $1.9 million 20-unit transitional housing project in Pasadena to help unhoused people and families.   

“The council tonight might just agree to approve by sweep motion all of the items on the consent calendar, including the one I am prepared to present,” said James Wong, project manager for Pasadena, who promoted the $1.9 million project for Door of Hope. 

The Housing Director of Pasadena, William Huang, spoke about the city’s collaboration with Door of Hope, which he expects to yield tangible results. 

“We want to be sure that Door of Hope has already secured and/or has a good chance of securing all the rest of the funding,” Huang said. “We don’t want to commit money to a project that never gets built, and then our money is tied up sitting there.” 

He spoke about how college students suffer from housing insecurity in the state and how the city addresses the situation. Huang mentioned a six-unit transitional housing project created for PCC college students who need immediate assistance.  

“There is a chronic problem with homeless college students throughout the sort of broad range of higher education,” said Huang “There is an estimate of several hundred homeless students at PCC.” 

Last year, California signed many new state laws addressing the housing crisis. Around 60 bills were passed and signed, involving many sectors of California’s industry, which will now participate in its remediation.

There are two specific ways to request Lancercare services: a referral form or signing in to PCC Connect, raising a hand online, and waiting for a connection. Lancercare is located on campus in the L building, room 108.

Lewis noticed California is taking a proactive stance and feels relieved that this surmounting crisis is finally being taken seriously. She understands the benefits Lancercare at PCC will have but isn’t pollyannaish about the process and wants to have more permanent housing for students. 

“I’m excited to know that these things are happening, but there is so much more that has to take place,” Lewis said. “In theory, it’s great we’re making progress. I hope the progress continues, but I hope that it is not just for a moment.”

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