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College Housing Northwest urges state help for student housing; ARCS program offers rental assistance
Summary
College Housing Northwest told the House committee that student housing is a major barrier to degree completion, described the ARCS rental-assistance program and asked for legislative support for student housing investments.
College Housing Northwest Director Pam Blumenthal told the House Committee on Higher Education on Jan. 28 that housing is a leading obstacle for college students and described the nonprofit's Affordable Rents for College Students (ARCS) rental-assistance program.
"The most expensive part of getting a college degree is housing," Blumenthal said, explaining that traditional affordable-housing programs such as federal Section 8 vouchers are generally not available to full-time college students.
Why it matters: Witnesses told the committee that roughly half of college students identify as housing insecure and that having affordable, supported housing increases the chance students will stay enrolled and complete programs that feed the state's workforce.
Blumenthal said College Housing Northwest owns and operates six properties housing more than 1,000 students a year and that the ARCS program provides rental assistance to low-income students; she said ARCS currently serves 125 students and that in 2024 the organization housed 1,100 students, of whom 164 received 50% to 100% rental assistance through ARCS. She described a recent conversion of a hotel in Gresham into more than 70 low- and no-rent studio apartments as an example of the organization's development work.
Blumenthal described ARCS residents as disproportionately students of color and first-generation college attendees and said the program partners with colleges, counties and foundations to stretch resources. She asked the committee to consider legislation and funding that increases the supply of affordable student housing and strengthens rental-assistance options.
Ending: The committee thanked presenters; Blumenthal said College Housing Northwest's model demonstrates how targeted housing investments can support degree completion. No formal action was taken at the informational hearing.
