Marking DeSaulnier / commentary
February 5, 2014

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier

Given that housing prices and rents in California far exceed what is affordable to the average working family, a disproportionate number of California families experience housing instability. Housing instability hits children particularly hard, and tin significantly impact their ability to engage at school or even their ability to attend school regularly.

We know that when children accept a stable living environment they have reduced stress, amend opportunities to learn and grow, and higher levels of literacy and academic achievement. Correct now at that place is some incredible and groundbreaking piece of work being done in affordable housing communities to deliver a range of vital supports to residents, including tutoring and learning enrichment programs for the children who call these communities dwelling house.

The after-schoolhouse and summer learning programs administered in these communities give children and youth critical assistance they might not receive anywhere else, and dramatically increase their potential for bridging the accomplishment gap and succeeding in school.

Subsequently-school and summer programs, also known as expanded learning programs, provide a prophylactic learning environment for students once they've left the classroom. The accumulating inquiry continues to bear witness that expanded learning opportunities are essential to student success. Increasing the availability and quality of expanded learning opportunities within affordable housing communities helps provide low-income students with the solutions we know work to increase academic achievement, develop positive attitudes towards learning, and principal the skills they need to succeed in life.

Jennifer Peck

Jennifer Peck

It is critical that these programs have quality content and educators, just information technology is simply as critical that they are accessible to those who need them the most. The challenges many low-income students and their families face living in housing communities – lack of access to reliable transportation, safety concerns and a shortage of affordable childcare options (oft resulting in older siblings staying close to home to care for younger siblings), can prevent many students from attending after-school or summer programs held at schools or community centers outside of their housing customs. Because of their shut proximity to homes, housing-based programs not but bring learning to these families' doorsteps, they as well lead to enhanced family appointment and higher participation rates. Program staff have the advantage of being shut to the families of their students, frequently with get-go-hand noesis of the particular challenges these families tin face, allowing them to reply quickly and accurately.

Merely while we need more affordable housing communities to create and ameliorate these programs for their youngest residents, nosotros also demand more affordable housing communities, catamenia. As it stands at present, there is a considerable shortage of affordable housing in California with more than 2 million children living in poverty. SB 391, supported past Housing California, the California Housing Consortium (CHC) and youth advocacy groups such equally the Partnership for Children & Youth, can provide a permanent funding source to develop, purchase and preserve safe and affordable homes for low and moderate-income households. Every kid needs and deserves a safe place to call home. These on-site expanded learning programs cannot be without the sites themselves.

We know these programs are primal to linking customs evolution efforts and schools. Every bit legislators, educators and advocacy groups come out in back up of the extraordinary bear on later on-schoolhouse and summer learning programs have on the lives of our students, the programs and services offered in affordable housing communities and the demand for more than affordable housing in which to offer these programs must non be ignored. Bringing these programs shut to domicile – giving them a home – gives children and youth the advantage they need. Information technology's time we meet students in their own backyard.

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Senator Marking DeSaulnier serves as chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and is the author of SB 391. Jennifer Peck is the Executive Director for Partnership for Children & Youth.

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