How Dutchess Community College is increasing homelessness aid, supporting students
Matthew Joseph Shayly knows when to stand back.
Shayly volunteers at The Pantry, a service offered to students at Dutchess Community College. He understands some students who come there for food may not want to be seen using the pantry, especially those who are homeless.
In a survey that included 368 of its students, DCC found 4% were homeless and 17% defined themselves as housing insecure, meaning they can't pay rent, are couch surfing or are on the verge of losing their housing. Many of these students are LGBTQ, students of color or those who have aged out of foster care.
This year, for the first time, the college housed six students who were homeless at Conklin Hall over the summer. It will again be open over winter break to house 11 students.
The college over the past five years has introduced initiatives to assist students dealing with economic challenges hindering their education, including hunger. The pantry was started in fall 2017, and soon after launched the DCC Cares support initiative.
DCC is hoping to break the cycle that leads to chronic homelessness by helping students find stable financial footing so they can continue with their education. The college introduced this latest support program at a time when homelessness is a topic of debate among the county and the City of Poughkeepsie, with the county looking to build an emergency housing facility on Oakley Street.
"We're very protective of our housing-insecure students," Shayly said. He doesn't know the names of those who are housed at the residence hall; he comes to know them through what they pick up from the pantry. "I try not go into great detail, to keep our relationship a little bit lighter, make sure they come back for services."
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Before managing The Pantry, Shayly used to volunteer at the Lunchbox in the City of Poughkeepsie. Clients who visited the community meal program were older, more direct about asking for what they needed, more experienced at being without a home. The students he helps at The Pantry are young. For some, it may be their first time experiencing homelessness, so they don't know how to navigate the system yet or are comfortable asking for help. Some may have been in a shelter before entering college.
Many public colleges are becoming year-round safe havens, where students struggling with housing insecurity, overdue bills or daycare options can find help. Those who work with housing insecure population understand how individuals struggling to keep up with their finances can spiral into a cycle of poverty.
"I've worked with students who have a Section 8 voucher, but can't find a place to apply it," said Whitney Morris, DCC's student resource navigator. The housing issue is two-fold for college students: an inability to find an available and affordable apartment in the county and having the money to put toward rent and deposit. "We also have students that have fallen behind on their bills because of loss of employment or COVID," she added.
The college believes by offering housing and assistance with housing they are ensuring that their students continue pursuing their education so they can find well-paying jobs and become self-sufficient.
Students who need housing over the break have to apply through the college's housing department and schedule an appointment to discuss eligibility. Morris is one of the individuals who determines eligibility by looking at their need, financial aid records and also input from Student Financial Services. To live in Conklin Hall students must have a GPA above 2.0.
The college is reluctant to say whether the need for housing support and financial assistance has grown over the years. It sees the need as always existing, but students were not comfortable asking for help. That's changing now because of Dutchess Community College Campus Assessment Response Evaluation, otherwise known as DCC CARES, which is working to eradicate the stigma.
The college has expanded its services and now supports non-academic emergencies, academic emergencies, child care tuition for student parents, and housing support for the housing insecure population.
"Together with The Pantry, we are nurturing an ecosystem of concrete care for our academic community," said Morris.
Student housing
In the past, the community college worked with local partners, as well as other colleges, to find housing for students over breaks during the school calendar. One administrator even opened up her own house to a student until they could find the student more permanent housing.
In 2018, the college received $85,000 in grant money from the Heckscher Foundation for Children and Gerstner Family Foundation to start the DCC CARES program. The seeding money helped to get the program started. The college was able to raise money through the DCC Foundation and provide housing this past summer.
In October, Assemblymember Didi Barrett and the DCC Foundation secured $150,000 in state funding for housing insecurity issues for students. The college also received $500,000 in private donations. The program is supported by the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services.
The funding will allow the college to keep Conklin Hall open throughout the year for students in need of housing.
"Part of our challenge was residence halls were not established to be open 24/7, 365 days a year, so as an institution we had to make adjustments," said Marcia Butland, assistant dean.
During the 2021-2022 school year DCC CARES served more than 210 students and 98 students asked for help finding housing or help with paying rent or their mortgage. This year, the college has served more than 100 students so far.
About 84% of the students that started with DCC CARES in 2018 either continued their education or transferred to a four-year college. Of the six students housed this past summer, one has transferred to a four-year college and the rest are planning to complete their associate's degree.
In preparation for the breaks, The Pantry makes sure there are food items in the residence hall since a student won't have access to campus food and The Pantry isn't open on a regular basis. The furnished suites each have a kitchenette with a full-sized fridge and a microwave.
"It limits on what we can send down because things have to be microwave ready or we have to design ways of teaching them how to make meals," said Shayly. Instead of pasta, which requires boiling water for a period of time, they provide rice noodles to soak in hot water or microwavable packages that are low sodium.
The Pantry also provides clothing and is also working on improving transportation options.
To get student emergency funding, which is for unforeseen situations such as paying a medical bill, students file for federal aid to see if they are eligible for a Pell grant, though there are some exceptions, and can get a maximum of $2,000. Students applying for aid through the student housing fund do not have to file for federal aid. Students must keep a minimum 2.0 GPA and take at least six credits.
"We are trying to get these students to the same starting line as everybody else and these housing insecurity students are starting so far behind," Butland said. The college believes its difficult for students to focus on studies when they are worried about where they might sleep that night or how to pay rent, many of whom have been exposed to trauma.
Saba Ali: Sali1@poughkeepsiejournal.com: 845-451-4518: @MsSabaAli.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Dutchess Community College aids homeless, in-need students
