College students in San Diego County who grew up in foster care are set to benefit this school year from millions of dollars in new state funding, with housing among their most pressing needs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the latest California budget on June 30 with the backing of the Legislature. The spending plan includes an additional $48 million to support foster youth attending college.
San Diego-based Promises2Kids, described as the only organization in the United States that supports foster children from birth through adulthood, helps at least 300 college students each year through its Guardian Scholar program. Stephanie Ortega, the group's chief operating officer, said the money arrives at a critical time. "You still see huge numbers of students struggling with homelessness because of the cost, because of what's available, and everything in between. So this is much needed," she said.
Homelessness among students can take many forms, including living in a vehicle, couch surfing, staying in hotels, temporarily living with family or friends, sleeping on the street, or generally lacking a stable and secure place to live. At San Diego State University alone, 3,000 students will begin the fall semester without a permanent home.
One local response is Wesley House, an affordable housing complex on the San Diego State campus. It sets aside space for low-income students, many of whom spent time in foster care.
Roberto Lopez, 27, rents an apartment there and knows the hardships many of his peers face. He entered foster care at age 5. "I came from a place where we didn't have a role model or anyone to look up to," he said. "Life was just really understanding it on your own, and I made a lot of mistakes throughout my time." Lopez recently transferred from Grossmont College to San Diego State, where he plans to earn a degree in social work so he can help other foster children after graduating.
The need extends well beyond campus. San Diego County currently reports more than 3,000 children in foster care, and most of them have siblings placed in separate homes. Statistics show that only 8% of foster youth go on to graduate from college.
Ikemba Dyke, 21, came to California from Jamaica by himself at age 16. He was abandoned by his father and abused by his mentally ill mother. With the added state funding, he will be able to keep his apartment and expects to graduate from San Diego State next spring with a double major in criminal justice and public administration.
Dyke said he now feels far more optimistic about what lies ahead. "There are people out there that want to hear you. There are people out there that respect your story and that would love to be a part of your life and your journey," he said.
