by Matthew Lee Being in college is hard, even if all of your basic needs are met. However, on top of maintaining a good GPA, staying committed to extracurriculars, and working a part-time job, college students all over the nation are experiencing homelessness. While an …
A New Look at Housing Solutions
The housing crisis in Los Angeles is complex and multi-layered. Exploring the housing development terrain takes patience and effort. A group of students at USC spent close to 40 hours during the 2020 spring semester learning and producing a podcast on policy housing in Los …
Local Community College Commits to Housing for Homeless Students
1 in 5 community college students report experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, significantly reducing the odds of their success as they attempt to further their post high school education and build a future career. One community college district recently took action to reduce those odds. Cerritos Community …
Help Us Champion Housing as a Human Right
It is time to declare that housing is a human right and ensure access to this basic human need for all people. We know that lack of access to housing reduces life expectancy by an average of 20 years and harms health in multiple ways. It …
Students Make An Impact: Building a South LA COVID-19 Support Network
“I learned about the value of connecting people and organizations with much-needed resources during times of crisis,” reported one student studying towards a master’s degree in preventive medicine and interning with a new south LA project. As the COVID 19 pandemic closed businesses and locked people in their homes …
Once homeless, USC neuroscience grad uses grit and determination to pursue his dreams
by Eric Lindenberg Tenacity and a belief in the power of education helped transfer student Nicholas Chapman build a better life for himself. He wants to become a doctor to give others the same chance. READ MORE.
USC Housing Law Clinic, Renters, and COVID 19
As COVID 19 has shut down our economy and thousands of people have lost their jobs, many households are worried about what will happen to their housing. Attorney and USC Community Services Legal Specialist, Gloria Gonzalez, who runs the Civic Engagement Housing Law Clinic, has …
USC Alumnus is Feeding LA
One USC alumnus from the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work has responded to the crisis of COVID – 19 in a remarkable fashion. Jose Ruiz (MSW’ 2017) had a vision of urban gardens sprinkled all over Metro LA and created an organization called CultivaLA, …
Why some people of color say they won’t wear homemade masks
USC Researcher Robynn Cox was recently quoted in a CNN article about the danger of racial profiling in this new world of homemade protective masks. The CDC’s mask guidance is an example of heterogeneous effects, said Robynn Cox, an assistant professor in the University of …
Trauma and Resiliency Informed Care and Homelessness
by Laura Hernandez, MSW and Brenda Wiewel, DSW Traumatic stress occurs when an individual experiences an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that are so physically or emotionally challenging, harmful or threatening that they overwhelm the available internal and/or external resources and interfere …
College Student Hunger and Homelessness: The Latest Data
by Matthew Lee A new report from the Hope Center, released this year, details data collected in the last five years from 227 institutions and 330,000 students. It notes that 39% of respondents reported experiencing food insecurity in the last 30 days, 46% of respondents identified housing insecurity in the last year, and …
Making a Difference: Occupational Therapy Fellowships Impact Homeless Healthcare in Los Angeles
by Matthew Lee Student Spotlight Occupational therapy, around for more than 100 years, has often been misunderstood by the public and undervalued by the healthcare industry. Nonetheless, professionally trained occupational therapists actively practice in healthcare and make vital contributions, ensuring patient capacity to live their …