SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Earning a degree from UC San Diego is hard enough for a college student, but Emma Johnson’s studies were the least of her worries for part of her senior year.
“I think that while I was living out of my car it was something that I kept very private. I was a little bit embarrassed about it while I was going through it,” Emma Johnson, a former UC San Diego Student who graduated in 2022, said. “Very difficult. I think it's a tremendous mental burden for a college student to bear.”
Johnson said she lived out her car for two months out of her car parking near the Torrey Pines Gliderport during the beginning part of her senior year.
“You have to think about where you're going to go, brush your teeth, whether or not you should shower before going back to your car, where you're going to shower, where you're going to park, how you're going to get your schoolwork done. You can't have WiFi at your car,” Johnson said.
So, the former Triton and others are leading the drive to make sure other students don’t have the same college experience she had.
“We're pushing for safe parking um on campus at UCSD. It's something that I think would really enrich the students that are experiencing housing insecurity on campus,” Johnson said.
"Obviously we can't solve the housing crisis overnight as much as we wish we could, but it gives and it provides students that sense of comfort that they might need to get through finals week through midterms week, and that could have a huge impact,” Louis Avalos, another former UC San Diego Student, said.
The group’s been making the push to the City of San Diego planning commission and the university for the parking lot and other possible options to make things easier for students.
“We're also pushing for potentially off-campus solutions such as a student-run homeless shelter, um, or a student-run low-income housing shelter, something of that nature, just something to help students have alternatives for more affordable and accessible living situations,” Johnson said.
UC San Diego told ABC 10News it doesn’t have the exact number of students living out of their cars and it’s difficult to figure out because it’s self-reported.
However, it says 149 students used emergency housing services [basicneeds.ucsd.edu] offered by UC San Diego during 2024 to 2025, with more than 95 percent finding stable housing.
In a statement, a UC San Diego spokesperson said in part, “This emergency housing is offered through the university’s Temporary Housing Protocol (THP) to support students who may experience housing insecurity. The THP is managed through The HUB Basic Needs Center [basicneeds.ucsd.edu] to support students experiencing housing, food, or financial insecurity.
This program works with campus housing and nearby hotels to provide temporary housing for up to 30 days, or longer in extenuating circumstances. It also provides meal assistance, coordinates with financial aid, and works with students individually to find a more stable living situation.
The university values the input of students and the greater community in solving the complex challenges faced by students experiencing housing insecurity. We have had several meetings to discuss the needs of unhoused students with those who have advocated for a safe overnight parking site at UC San Diego. We will continue to address the needs of students experiencing housing insecurity in partnership with the HUB, student leaders, community organizations, state and county agencies, and advocacy partners. We are committed to continuing to provide services to students experiencing housing insecurity through our established Temporary Housing Protocol, as well as promising, innovative, and sustainable practices and programs.”
“I do think that we're getting the conversation started and hopefully, maybe paving the way for more funding and resources,” Johnson said. “And hopefully, maybe paving the way for more funding and resources, such as emergency housing or bettering emergency housing and the emergency housing protocols.”
