UNHOUSED STUDENTS AND THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY OF THE VILLAGE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE

Student homelessness and housing insecurity have become a significant and growing crisis within community colleges across the United States. Despite increasing recognition of this issue, many institutions lack structural responses to address the barriers that housing instability creates to student success. This qualitative case study examined the development, implementation, and sustainability of The Village, a housing initiative specifically designed to support students experiencing homelessness at Cerritos College, a community college in Los Angeles County, California.

Data were collected through semistructured interviews with institutional leaders and community partners, document analysis, and site observations. Analysis revealed three interconnected themes: (a) Equity-Driven Student-Ready Institution, (b) Leadership Vision and Board Support, and (c) Sustainability and Community College–Nonprofit Partnership Model.

Findings indicate that The Village represents a coordinated, structured, and goal-oriented institutional response to student homelessness rather than a temporary relief effort. Housing stability was recognized as foundational to student success and embedded within a broader institutional commitment to equity and community responsibility. The study contributes to the literature by proposing the community college partnership model for student housing. It also introduces generational impact educational leadership and the concept of generational thinking, a leadership orientation that emphasizes the distinct responsibility of educational leaders to consider the long-term societal impact of institutional decisions on current and future generations of students and communities.