Taylor Harvey

UC Berkeley Senior Class of 2018

Social Welfare & Art Practice

 

“We wanted to ensure that the students had a place where they knew they could come if they were facing homelessness, to create a space to have conversations about homelessness and housing insecurity, and to forge solutions.” 

 

Taylor Harvey, Housing Commission Chair and Co-Founder of the Homeless Student Union, began working at the age of 13. After her mother lost her job, Taylor became the family's breadwinner, paying for her and her mother's rent. However, when Taylor was 16, her mother failed to pay the landlord the rent money Taylor had earned, leaving them homeless. Since the age of 16, Taylor has been housing insecure. She's lived on the streets, in cars, with family members-- any place she can find.

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Taylor saw higher education as a way out of poverty. However, she was a first-generation college student and was not familiar with the college application process. With the aid of friends, teachers, and high school counselors, Taylor was able to apply to 28 universities.

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Ultimately, she was rejected by 24 schools, including UC Berkeley.

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Upon appeal to UC Berkeley, Taylor was able to explain her unique situation and was granted a full-ride scholarship to attend the university. She thought that all of her expenses would be covered.

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During the August of her junior year at UC Berkeley, Taylor discovered that she had not been re-approved for on-campus housing because she had lost her status as a homeless student. Her financial aid package was substantially lower and she had difficulty proving her mother's homeless status because she lacked important documents. She eventually received her financial aid, but it took much time and effort after inefficient bureaucratic processes.

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“I just thought that once I got here, I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore, I wouldn’t have to worry about money,” Harvey said. “I worked hard my entire life to get here, basically, and then it felt like the system was working against me.”

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After having experienced the difficulties of being a homeless student at UC Berkeley, Taylor was inspired to help other students navigate housing insecurity. Taylor founded the Homeless Student Union with her peers to advocate for homeless students at UC Berkeley.

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Working alongside campus administration, Taylor aims to radically change the institution's approach to student homelessness. Her work has already enabled 30 undergraduate students to find homes with local community members.

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