By David Lazzara
As the semester comes to a close, many students are beginning to make plans to return home. However, not every student knows where they will call home for the summer and will need support for housing insecurity.
Dominican, in an effort to help these students in the past, applied for the End Student Housing Insecurity Grant during the fall 2023 semester. This money was sought after to fund an option through the YMCA to help students who are housing-insecure. This could apply to any student who does not have a steady or safe place to return to or is at risk of homelessness. Explaining the YMCA’s role, Mark Titzer, the Chief Financial Officer, said, “This (End Student Housing Insecurity Grant) was really pursued in a partnership with the YMCA of Oak Park. For much of the $200,000 that we received, it was a pass-through from the Dominican to the YMCA to refurbish the rooms on the fourth floor of the building.”
The idea of the money going to the YMCA was so that this fourth-floor refurbishment could provide rooms for incoming freshmen and housing-insecure students. Titzer elaborated that Dominican in previous years had seen its highest enrollment numbers for new freshmen. With concerns about having enough space in the dorms, the YMCA was seen as an alternative housing destination for students.
However, this plan to use the YMCA for housing-insecure students and incoming freshmen never fully came to fruition and has led some students to openly criticize the conditions at the YMCA. Junior Angel Flores said, “The YMCA does not have a kitchen, they do not have fridges, they only have a microwave.”
With the grant money fully exhausted and the initial contracts for using the YMCA facilities coming to a close in July, this has left uncertainty about what future holiday breaks might look like for these students. Talking about this uncertainty is Gabe Lara, Vice President of Student Success and Engagement. “We are looking at a different option for an opportunity there and are working with the YMCA to see if that is still going to stay as an option,” said Lara.
Moving forward, the process of helping housing-insecure students involves contacting faculty members. “The way my team and I are involved is that students will let a faculty member, a staff member, or friends know of their situation. Then they are able to share that concern through multiple ways…and then we will put in an alert for a student care network,” said Lara.
After communication has begun, students are asked questions to determine whether their need for housing is either long-term or short-term. More long-term situations point to places like the YMCA, whereas a short-term circumstance might be recommended for emergency housing on campus for a few days or a week.
This process can also vary from person to person; because of many diverse circumstances these students might have. Going more in depth, Sarah Johnson, Dean of Students, explained, “We have a case management system where we are able to provide housing referrals nationwide. We take it case by case, student by student, and assess what is going to be the most helpful and what is the best fit for the student.”
In an effort to better help students with needs such as housing insecurity, Dominican hired Samier Caldwell as its first case manager. Caldwell also has a role as a HOUSE liaison and is a part of the team that helps students with housing insecurity.
Johnson signified the importance of having a full-time staff member who is able to target student support for basic needs. “Once a student meets with us for the initial conversation, we are connected with them bi-weekly at a minimum. Usually, to check in and see how they are doing,” said Johnson.
Even after a student has gotten the support they needed during a break from school, Dominican checks in to make sure that same support is offered in the future. “For a student who has housing insecurity, once they are connected with us, we support them throughout the rest of their time at Dominican,” she said.
For more information on support and resources for housing insecurity, visit the Housing Insecurity Support page on Dominicans website or use this link:
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