Support the Cal Poly Humboldt Houseless (alternative living) community by taking action!

PLEASE DO NOT DONATE MONEY HERE - IT DOES NOT GO TO US OR THE CAUSE - It goes directly to CHANGE.org WE CANNOT ACCESS IT - We have set up a GOFUND ME for those who so kindly want to donate monetarily - WE WERE NOT EXPECTING OR PREPARED FOR DONATIONS - TRULY, THANK YOU.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/15fe28ee

On Wednesday 25th October, 2023, we received notice of eviction from campus grounds without prior warning due to allegedly creating “unsafe and unsanitary conditions.” To the contrary, we homeless students make a concerted effort to keep the areas surrounding our vehicles, and across campus clean including removing trash that is not our own. Shortly after, an email addressed to the entire student body was sent out in an attempt to shame, humiliate, and isolate the houseless community on campus. It is important to note that no communication or dialogue was carved to remedy said accusations prior to this email.

Effectively, this will force many of the school's most vulnerable and impoverished students onto the streets and into an unsafe environment. To remedy the eviction, Cal Poly Humboldt administrators have offered a temporary, short-term emergency housing option for 3-4 weeks to the homeless students, or have suggested that we move to an unsafe homeless shelter parking lot on the outskirts of town which has limited availability. Moving off campus will make already vulnerable students even more at risk. In addition, the stress caused by this eviction will impact not only our ability to learn, but also our ability to contribute positively to the campus communities we are a proud part of.

Further, we’d like to highlight that this issue will affect the community at large. Forcing students off campus will force them to find accommodations outside the school, putting added unwanted pressure on the already strained housing situation in Arcata and overall Humboldt County. This creates a situation that affects the entire campus and surrounding community.

Cal Poly Humboldt administration is under the illusion that students are living in their vehicles out of choice. In actual fact, we are living in our vehicles and are legally homeless because quite simply, we cannot afford rent, to feed ourselves, let alone pay for tuition fees. We have sacrificed housing so that we can be here, earn our degrees and rise out of poverty. There is no financial back-up for students like us. This eviction will force some of us to drop out of earning our degrees with an uncertain future. For many of us, the community we have on campus keeps us safe. Our houseless community includes disabled students, immigrants, Bipoc, LGBTQIA+, and displaced people. We are also campus employees, community leaders, dean’s list students, scholarship winners, and club presidents. We are human beings who are paying to be here like everyone else, and we have been treated by the administration as “the other”. 

In response to this act of discrimination, we are reaching out to you to support us in this stressful time. We are stronger together. 

Please sign this petition and consider sending a letter of support via email voicing your concerns on the matter to the email addresses provided below.

Please send this petition and information to everyone you can!

cris.jones.koczera@humboldt.edu

Stephen.StOnge@humboldt.edu

jam624@humboldt.edu

clh179@humboldt.edu

chrissy.holliday@humboldt.edu

housing@humboldt.edu

dos@humboldt.edu