Dive Transient:
- Howard County, Maryland, launched a pilot program March 5 that gives residence rental subsidies of as much as $800 per thirty days to low-income neighborhood school college students.
- College students who’re enrolled for six credit per semester throughout the fall and spring semesters at Howard Group School, have a family revenue that’s lower than 60% of the realm’s median revenue, are in good educational standing and are eligible for pupil monetary support can qualify for the Scholar Rental Subsidy Program subsidies.
- Many college students within the county are working full time and struggling financially, mentioned Howard County Government Calvin Ball. “Nobody ought to have to decide on between shopping for groceries, pursuing an schooling and paying the lease,” he mentioned.
Dive Perception:
The rising value of housing in lots of U.S. cities has made it troublesome for low-income residents to seek out reasonably priced residences. Howard County, exterior Baltimore, has seen a pointy enhance in rental costs in recent times, main tenants to advocate for lease stabilization.
In accordance with U.S. Census Bureau information, in 2019, 46% of renters within the county have been thought-about lease burdened — outlined as paying greater than 30% of their family revenue on lease — and 26% paid greater than half their revenue on housing. “As rents enhance, these numbers proceed to develop,” mentioned Ball.
The housing disaster notably impacts college students enrolled in neighborhood schools, greater than 1 / 4 of whom are dad and mom and 59% of whom obtain monetary support, in line with assume tank New America. Many neighborhood school college students pay extra for housing than for tuition, and people who are housing insecure face larger charges of “anxiousness and despair, worse well being outcomes, and decrease GPAs than their housing safe friends,” a 2022 article from New America states.
Howard Group School final 12 months recognized entry to protected and reasonably priced housing as a major barrier for its college students. A report from the school’s Fee on the Future said that “Entry to reasonably priced housing would transfer HCC towards having a various pupil physique and eliminating a significant barrier for underrepresented college students, first era college students and college students from lower-income backgrounds.”
In accordance with Ball, “We all know that secure and reasonably priced housing is a major determinant of educational success and financial mobility, which is why I imagine this program is so essential for our college students.”
Howard County will not be alone in its pursuit of housing subsidies for college students. The town of School Park, in neighboring Prince George’s County, Maryland, can be exploring a pilot program that would supply $1,500 rental subsidies to college students on the College of Maryland, which has its flagship campus within the metropolis.
Howard County launched the brand new two-year, $1 million, pupil subsidy pilot program by means of its Housing Alternatives Meant for Everybody initiative, Ball mentioned. By this system, the county will present as many as 50 college students with subsidies of as much as $800 per thirty days, ideally lowering their month-to-month housing value burden to 35% or much less of their revenue, he mentioned.
