Housing program for low-income students makes progress

Housing program for low-income students makes progress

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SALT LAKE CITY — Several young women and mentors from a low-income student program hugged each other and shook hands outside of a committee room, celebrating another step toward reaching their education goals.

Members of the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee voted last week to move forward with a bill that would start a pilot program to provide housing assistance for low-income students.

HB312, sponsored by Rep. Mike Winder, R-West Valley City, would match private funding to assist low-income and first-generation college students in having access to housing close to a university.

"My heart sank recently when I read that only 5 percent of low-income high school graduates go on to complete a bachelor’s degree," Winder said.

After high school graduation, low-income students step into a "social and economic abyss," he said. HB312 would help to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and give quality students a boost in completing their education, Winder said.

"It really concerned me as I watched some of the best and the brightest kids that I’ve met, most of these kids speak more than one language, they perform extremely well on the basic assessments, and then they just don’t seem to make it," said Howard Headlee, of the Utah Banker's Association, said.

Headlee cited financial and emotional barriers as significant reasons for obstructing low-income and first-generation college students from completing their education.

He said he worked in part with the test program to set up a 24/7 mentor hotline to offer advice for these students, addressing the emotional barrier by providing guidance and support. Headlee said the housing program would address some of the financial barriers for first-generation students.

"A big part of this, this all happens around housing," Headlee said. "We have had conversations with some very successful companies that want to invest in this type of a program."

He said the program would have private funding matches at a 1-to-1 ratio.

The focus of Winder's bill would be to help move students from low-income areas into a housing close to university campuses.

Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, voiced her support for the bill saying she recognizes the importance of being close to a university and having the live-in experience.

"I wasn’t commuting from Tooele every day to attend the University of Utah and not have those distractions," she said.

The House committee voted unanimously to move the bill forward for further discussion.

"Maybe one of these young women will take my place some day," Romero said.

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