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NOAH
Reporter @noahgoldbloom
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Due to the rising number of homeless students in LACCD, administration and students are looking to start and expand programs to help those in need.
The Los Angeles Times reported that 1 in 5 LACCD students are homeless. Though the number of homeless students attending Pierce is unknown, there has been a noticeable steady rise, according to Director of Health Services Beth Benne. According to Benne, the number of homeless students has increased during the last two decades since she began working here.
Homeless students face hunger and inconsistent housing, which affects their ability to graduate and transfer to four-year institutions, she said.
“They don’t have enough to eat, and their chances of success are extremely reduced, because they are not able to feed their brain and shelter their bodies,” Benne said.
Benne said that she has been trying create a census to get an idea about how many homeless students are on campus. “It isn’t just a problem Pierce faces,” Benne said. “It’s a problem the entire California Community College District is trying to deal with.”
