From Campus to the Capitol: Students Confront Housing Costs and Homelessness Through Policy with Kate Rodgers

In this episode of WAHNcast, Angie Truitt teams up with co-hosts Megan Goyer and Britney Watson, Co-Chairs of the UNC Chapel Hill WAHN U Chapter, for a powerful conversation with Kate Rodgers, Co-Chair of the Student HOMES Coalition and recent UCLA graduate. Kate shares how she helped launch a statewide student coalition after realizing that conversations around college affordability were leaving out one of the biggest costs students face: housing. She talks about leading advocacy campaigns as a student, building bridges across 16+ campuses, and why she believes student housing is not just a policy issue but a basic need and a human right. Listeners will hear: Why housing costs are often the biggest barrier to higher education in California How students are driving real legislative change at the state level What it takes to build trust and collaboration across diverse groups—from student leaders to labor unions to universities Kate’s advice for emerging leaders: “If something feels a little scary or makes you feel out of your depth, that’s probably a sign you should go that direction—because that’s where you’ll learn the most.” This is an energizing conversation about advocacy, leadership, and the next generation of housing changemakers.