Sandra Torres takes a look at local organizations stepping up help address and provide resources for local college students who are housing insecure.
For many college students, figuring out how to pay for housing and basic needs has become a real challenge.
Twnety-one-year-old Cynthia Juarez knows that all too well. She became homeless as she began her second year as student at Wilbur Wright College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago.
"I was experiencing couch surfing," said Juarez. "It was a very confusing time. There was a point where I was just like, I don’t know if I should even continue my education and put that on pause and focus on working full-time."
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Juarez said her own experience and what she has seen in recent years, she's discovered it's a common problem not talked about enough.
"I have friends who are living in a parking lot," said Juarez. "They eat whatever they can find in the cafeteria and sometimes they don’t have anything to eat."
Out of desperation, Juarez said she reached out to the Wellness Center at City Colleges of Chicago, and asked for help. She said counselors there referred her to Cecilia House, a newly-renovated building on the city's North Side, owned by the nonprofit Depaul USA.
"I was first in shock to know I'd be able to live here," said Juarez. "I could never afford a place like this."
The seven apartments and 20 beds are for students from DePaul University and City Colleges of Chicago who are experiencing house insecurities. Students staying in the units pay rent, but at a low cost.
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"A lot of the students staying there were couch surfing, have family disputes, rent in Chicago is really high," said Sarah Lipo, who works for DePaul USA and helps run Cecilia House.
The units in Cecilia House are all furnished and students began moving in early August 2022. Currently, 16 students are staying there.
Among them, is Aldo Alan. He's a student from California, pursuing his Masters Degree at DePaul University. When he moved to Chicago in 2021, he did not know where he was going to live.
"I don't have a place to live… I can live on campus, but I don't have the money to do so," said Alan.
He didn't want to give up his education, so he reached out to a school counselor, who also referred him to Cecilia House. But Alan didn't just become a tenant, he became the House Manager. The opportunity meant he could work there and pay no rent.
"When they said, 'We have this managerial position, are you interested?' I said, 'I'll take whatever, as long as I'm getting the help I need,'" said Alan.
The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless says stories about college students with house insecurities are being overlooked.
"We think homelessness in college has really increased but we don’t have accurate data on each school in our state," said Alyssa Phyllips, an education attorney with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
However, that will soon change, thanks to a new state law.
"The college access bill came into effect recently, in August," said Phyllips. "Part of the bill is to collect data at colleges and universities statewide. Having that data is going to be really helpful with advocating for resources needed."
The law also requires each institution to appoint a so-called housing liaison. Their responsibilities would include helping students who are homeless find resources available.
Back at Cecilia House, Alan and Juarez said they're fortunate they now have a temporary place to stay, but more help is needed for others who aren't as fortunate.
"I’m just fighting on for other students as well, there should be more Cecilia houses available for other students," said Juarez.
"Once you have housing, food it pushes us through… but we have fear of what's going to happen if we don't have this," said Alan.
