Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act
The SB190 (Public Act 102- 0083) – Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act will assist students experiencing homelessness in receiving assistance to successfully complete their education.
Statistics on Housing & Food Insecurity
According to a national study performed by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago in 2019, 4.2 million youth and young adults experienced homelessness on their own during a 12-month period. The same study found that 29% of young adults experiencing homelessness were enrolled in college or another educational program. This conversation inspired what became SB190 (Public Act 102- 0083) – Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act (Sen. Glowiak-Hilton and Rep. West).
GSU also participated in the Hope Center Real College Survey which closed on October 30, 2020. Invitations to complete the questionnaire were sent by email to 4,627 GSU students and 617 participated. Results show that:
- 62% of students experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity.
- 39% experienced food insecurity within the past 30 days.
- 56% experienced housing insecurity within the past year.
- 11% experienced homelessness within the past year.
Data Visualization
Basic Needs Insecurity
Food Insecurity
Housing Insecurity
Homelessness
| Basic Needs Insecurity | Food Insecurity | Housing Insecurity | Homelessness |
|---|
| 62% | 39% | 56% | 11% |
Definition of Homelessness
A student experiencing homelessness or homeless student is “an individual enrolled in an institution who lacks or is at imminent risk of lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or whose parent or legal guardian is unable or unwilling to provide shelter and care and includes a homeless individual as defined under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act." For the purpose of this definition, the term "fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence" does not include residence in an institution of higher education's on – campus housing.
HOUSE Liaisons
To aid students experiencing homelessness, each institution of higher education shall designate at least one staff member to serve as a liaison to assist homeless students enrolled at the institution.
Ending Student Housing Insecurity at Governors State University
The Counseling and Wellness Center leads the movement to End Student Housing Insecurity at GSU. Angela Johnson, Social Worker for the Counseling and Wellness Center and Program Coordinator for the GSU4U Program serves as the HOUSE Liaison officer. Ms. Johnson will spearhead the programming and communications, and expanding outreach efforts both campus-wide and in the community.
For more information about the Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act and GSU's course of action, please reach out to HOUSE Liaison Angela Johnson.
For housing resources, please refer to GSU4U's comprehensive list of housing resources.