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Students forced to choose between housing and education
It's not exactly a North Oaks mansion, but Momo Kpissay, 22, couldn't be prouder of his 300 square foot efficiency apartment in downtown Minneapolis. "It really fits me. I like it." Kpissay sat for months on a waiting list to get into St. Barnabas, a rent-subsidized apartment house for homeless youth. But entry came at what some are calling a ridiculous price. To get into St. Barnabas, federal tax laws required Kpissay to give up his full-time student status at Minneapolis Community & Technical College. "It's crazy," says Kpissay who now takes classes part-time. "Probably take me like four and a half years for a two year degree." He not alone. St. Barnabas site manager Sara Armstrong-Nathan says three-quarters of her residents are affected by the rule -- some forced to drop out of high school to take GED classes. "One of the first questions we ask: are you enrolled in school?" Armstrong-Nathan says perspective tenants are proud to tell her they are full-time students. Then they are told their full-time status will keep them out of St Barnabas, "and the smile goes away." "No one disputes the fact that it's dumb," says Chip Halbach, executive director of the Minnesota Housing Partnership. Halbach says Congress entered the language in the tax code in the mid-1980s to prevent colleges from turning dorms into low income housing units. But he doubts congress ever intended to keep formerly homeless youth from becoming full-time students. "If you don't allow them to improve their lives you're much more likely to run through the cycle of homelessness," Halbach says. Halbach's organization has the ear of Congressman Keith Ellison. Thursday morning Ellison will tour St. Barnabas and talk to residents affected by the rule. A spokesman for the congressman said Ellison will help "any way he can" to get formerly homeless youth back to school full-time.
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