Homeless Student Food Security, Housing Stability, and School Performance Among College Students

WHEREAS, today college students face far more serious financial challenges than in previous generations; and 

WHEREAS, homeless students are individuals or families without permanent or fixed residences, typically living in abandoned buildings, public places, or the streets and, at times, seeking temporary shelter with public or private charities; and 

WHEREAS, food and housing vulnerabilities are barriers to academic success for students who attend university across the nation. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocate for a federal and state housing voucher program which supports the homeless and housing-insecure; provides assistance to help cover the cost of rent that low-income students who meet federal income eligibility requirements established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and who qualify for the Section 8 program and are homeless or housing-insecure qualify for the program.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocate for state and federal policy changes simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process; expanding SNAP eligibility for college students; remove financial aid barriers to homeless youth in the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, in particular HEA reauthorization should address barriers related to age and determinations of homeless status; reinstating year-round Pell Grants and raising the amount of Pell Grants to $15,000 to improve struggling students' ability to succeed academically and professionally.