46,000 Students at California State University are Homeless

Sent by a reader in the Golden State

About one in 10 of CSU’s 460,000 students homeless, one in five food insecure: Study

About 10 percent of California State University’s 460,000 students is homeless, while one in five is food secure, according to a new study.

“The study, commissioned by Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White., is intended to provide better understanding of student homelessness, an issue that remains largely undocumented at the U.S. public universities.

“This is a gasp, when you think about it,” said White. “We’re going to find solutions that we can take to scale.”  [But, this is not a problem that has just surfaced out of the blue, Mr. White.]

Students who experience food insecurity and housing displacement are invisible, and there is very little research on this student population. While 56,588 students nationally and about 10,000 students in California identified themselves as independent homeless youth on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid in 2013 – 2014 (U.S. Department of Education unpublished data), this is undoubtedly a low count.

Related Links

• Serving Displaced and Food Insecure Students in the CSU
• Tough times for CSU students: One in 10 homeless
• 1 in 10 Cal State students is homeless, study finds