Imagine being told there is no place for you to live — no dorm room, no apartment, no warm bed back home with your parents — for the next two years. The waiting list for a home is simply full. The city of Ames, the largest source of subsidized housing in the area, closed its waiting list Aug. 25, 2004, when the estimated waiting period for an apartment reached 24 months. The people applying for housing are not lazy men who drink a lot of beer. These are working families that are typically living off of one adult’s income. According to the city of Ames, the average rent in 2005 for a one-bedroom apartment is $525, which requires a monthly income of $1,748. To do that, a worker must have an hourly full-time wage of $10.08. Imagine trying to fit your family into a one-bedroom apartment. According to 2005 statistics, an average three-bedroom apartment rents at $927 and requires a monthly income of $3,087. The renter must be making at least $17.81 an hour.

But in Ames, several thousand employees earn $7 to $8 an hour. This includes most grocery, department, retail store, fast food, daycare and motel housekeeping workers. In 1998, an Ames report stated that 48.3 percent — nearly half — of Ames renters couldn’t afford their rent. As a student, you can do something about housing issues in Ames:

1. Educate yourself and others about the issue of homelessness and unaffordable housing.

2. Volunteer your time to help groups like the Emergency Residence Project, Habitat for Humanity or Beyond Welfare which aids Ames residents in getting into homes and back on their feet.

3. Join community initiatives and conversations with City Council members and other people representing the multifaceted aspects of the housing issue. Next time you climb into your warm bed, imagine what it feels like to be treated as a “bum” simply because your hard-earned working dollars won’t pay for the rent that could put a roof over your head. We can all be part of the solution.

Amber Herman

Junior

Public Service and Administration in Agriculture