Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign Releases New Podcast Episode on the Impact of Eviction Threats on Parenting College Students

By Julie Walker, NLIHC National Campaign Coordinator 

The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign released a new podcast episode, “The Adverse Impact of Eviction Threats on Parenting College Students.” The episode, hosted by Julie Walker, features a discussion with Edward Conroy, Senior Policy Manager for New America’s Higher Education Policy Program, and Nick Graetz, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Sociology and Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation.  

In the podcast episode, guests discuss their issue brief, “Ousted from Opportunity: Eviction’s Adverse Impact on Parenting College Students,” which examines the unique challenges faced by students caring for children while enrolled in college. Analysis of this issue reveals the consequences of the threat of eviction and the impact of eviction threats not only on the likelihood of completing a degree but on life expectancy as well. Their findings reveal that the threat of eviction significantly reduces graduation rates and economic mobility, and that both Black- and women-identifying parenting students face higher rates of eviction threats due to longstanding racial inequities in housing resulting from discriminatory housing policies.   

Further, the guests discuss how the current financial aid system fails to address the unique needs of students with children, and how investments in affordable housing promote successful college outcomes. The discussion emphasizes the urgent need for policy reforms that better support parenting college students, particularly in housing and education. These changes are crucial for improving graduation rates and creating generational economic stability. 

New America is a member of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign’s Opportunity Roundtable.  

Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple, and Soundcloud.