What’s it like to study from a hotel? As UC housing crunch worsens, these students are finding out

How serious is California’s housing crisis? Well, Long Beach City College recently authorized homeless students to sleep in their cars in a secure parking lot. And at least four University of California campuses have resorted to renting hotel rooms for hundreds of students unable to secure housing — though they’re offering different levels of financial assistance. At UC San Diego, undergraduates must pay for their own hotel rooms — which works out to about $5,000 per month even with a discounted rate negotiated by the university. Contributing to the steep costs, many students are forced to eat out or order in food because the hotel rooms don’t have kitchens. Add lengthy commutes and frequent shuttling between hotels, and you get a recipe that some students say have caused them to fall behind in their classes.