This document discusses the challenges low-income students face in their education. It notes that 1 in 5 US children live in poverty, often in single-parent households with less than a high school education. Low-income students are more likely to live in rental housing and neighborhoods with higher dropout rates and less professional role models. Affordable housing can help by providing stability and access to better schools. The document also examines barriers low-income students face in college admissions and financing their education. It proposes solutions like mixed-income housing and scholarships to increase educational opportunities.

1. Affordable Housing and the
Education of Low-Income
Students
Taifha Baker

2. School’s In Session
 Lesson Plan
 Why this topic?
 Factors that play a
role in a low-income
student’s education
 Playing the
admissions game
 Low-income children’s
access to college

3. Why This Topic?
“When your Mom spends her last to send you to class, you
better not play.” – Buju (loosely translated)

4. Why This Topic?

5. Low-Income Children
are…
 1 out of 5 children in
the U.S. are living in
poverty
 Mostly from single-
parent households
 Less than H.S.
education
 Nearly 3x more likely
to live in rental housing

6. An Issue that Permeates Race
31%
65% 63% 63%
43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
White Black Hispanic Native American Other
Percentage of Children in Low-Income Families
According to Race, 2013
Percentage of Children in Low-Income Families According to Race, 2013

7. The Neighborhoods They Live In
Low-Income Neighborhood
 More likely to dropout of
H.S.
 Lack of
managerial/professional
neighbors
 More reports of
aggressive behavior
 Higher rates of non-
marital childbearing
High-Income Neighborhood
 Lower levels of stress
and higher scholastic
achievement for African-
American females
 Certain children
benefited from
managerial/professional
neighbors
 More reports of
depression or being
withdrawn
“I’m tired of being poor and, even worse, I’m black. My stomach
hurts so I’m looking for a purse to snatch.”

8. Separate, but Equal?

9. Is it All About Neighborhood?
KEAR
KIER
CER
CEAR
CARE

10. Preserve Affordable Housing,
Save the Future
If affordable housing is preserved for low-income
families there may be…
 Less frequent, involuntary moves
 An opportunity for low-income children to gain
benefits of being in a mixed or high-income
neighborhood
 Higher rates of H.S. Graduation
 Less stress among parents in overcrowded homes
 Reduced housing related health-hazards
 Reduced homelessness
 https://youtu.be/yt54wOBoeQM?t=4m13s

11. Solutions?
 Mixed-Income Housing
 Mixed-Use Housing
 Inclusionary Zoning
 Build public housing near stronger schools
 Diversity-Focused Admission Policies

12. Playing the Admissions
Game

13. Playing the Admissions
Game
• GPA: 67.1
• SAT combined: 1910/2400
• 3 High Schools in 4 years
• Some work experience
• No extracurricular activities

14. Decisions, Decisions
• Mean GPA: 76.7
• Peer-School Mean
SAT: 769
• Educational
Opportunity
Program
• Average GPA: 3.7
• Average SAT
• Math – 575
• Critical
Reading – 561
• Writing – 562
• Conditional Admit
Program
• 95% of students
were top 10%
• SAT ranges
• 600-800 in
each section
• No specific
program for
admitting low-
income students

15. Playing the Admissions
Game

16. (Un)Equal Opportunity
https://youtu.be/fQ1ajpiy09E

17. Running In Place
 African-American and
low-income students
take out more loans,
more often, to finance
their education
 Low-Income BA holders
earn 95% more than a
HS grad
 Middle-Income BA
holders earn 162% more
than a HS grad

18. A Possible Solution
Hope Scholarship
Free tuition at a state
school if 2 of the 3
criteria are fulfilled -
 GPA: 3.0
 SAT: 1100+
 Rank in the top 30%
of the class