Helping Hands for the Homeless 

As housing costs have been steadily on the rise, so has homelessness. During this time of year, the weather only adds to this issue of housing insecurity and the troubles homeless individuals may face as a result. But thankfully for our community, and our students, there are several resources that ensure shelter is not a concern.

For those enrolled at Daytona State College, or at any Florida institution, free tuition is granted to those without a home, as long as the homeless tuition waiver is completed. DSC’s Educational Services Coordinator Virginia North has experienced an increase in walk-in appointments for homeless students this semester. “Currently, there are 48 students on the homeless tuition waiver,” she says. “That number does not include students who don’t do the waiver, or that may be on a DCF (Department of Children and Families) waiver.” 

Whether facing evictions, domestic violence or whatever the case for their homelessness may be, students at Daytona State can take advantage of the resources at the Hope Center. “Here in the Hope Center, we have a food pantry and a clothing closet,” North says. Other services include a lending library, bus passes, shower access and haircut vouchers. “Anything that we don’t have here, we connect them to our community partners,” she continues. 

Though DSC is not responsible for placing students in housing, they refer those in need to organizations within the community. Their primary connection is the Volusia/Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless (VFCCH). The VFCCH does not have housing itself either, but it helps locate housing for homeless individuals and gather money from the community to disperse to local housing shelters. 

The executive director of the VFCCH, Harry Cole, has seen the numbers increase in regard to homelessness, and he and many others argue it is due to the lack of affordable housing. To collect data on homelessness, a Point in Time survey is conducted annually by the Continuum of Care (CoC), with Volusia and Flagler County’s CoC being CoC 504. “We saw a 17% increase in 2023 over 2022,” Cole says. The last count was conducted in January 2024, and after those numbers are tabulated, he expects the increase to be “at least the same or even more.” 

A shelter that does contain housing in our community where DSC students may also be referred to is Halifax Urban Ministries (HUM). This nonprofit organization serves not only college students, but many families and veterans who experience homelessness and food insecurity. Hope Place at HUM features emergency shelter, apartments for transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and dorm-style rooms for young adults 18 to 24. Around 100 families a year find home at Hope Place, just one of the many services HUM offers.

Executive director of HUM, Buck James, realizes the economic struggle his town is facing. “The 32114 zip code is one of the poorest zip codes by per capita income in the state of Florida,” he says, “and it’s one of the poorest in the United States.” All of the many invaluable services that HUM provides are aimed to change that, so no one should stress about where the next meal is coming from and if they have a home to reside in. For college students, education should be the center of focus. 

James, the former Vice President for Enrollment Student Services here at Daytona State, was responsible for financial aid in his time here. “What is the role of financial aid in higher education?” he asks. “It’s to level the playing field so your economic background doesn’t determine your opportunity in life. Well, that’s the same thing we do [at HUM].” 

Between our own Hope Center, HUM and the VFCCH, our town strives to break the cycle of homelessness and help repave the way for our homeless community, so one no should worry about having a home to sleep in at night.