The Voices Project

Making higher education more affordable

Education is the cornerstone of society. Yet, in our society, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain higher education. A college education, both private and public, is so expensive that it becomes an elusive dream for many in our society.

Many bright students have opted out of pursuing higher education because it is not affordable. According to the New York Times, students who borrow money to attend a public college finish with a median debt of $16,000. Some of the private schools are trying to remedy this situation by offering grants in lieu of interest bearing loans. But not everyone can attend these institutions. At the rate we are financing public education, we are punishing the very people we are trying to help. To pay these loans, many college graduates either remain at home with their families or take the first available position they are offered. And there are also those who cannot find employment and end up in default of their student loans.

Now what are we to do? We can continue to ignore the problem, or the state of Massachusetts can start investing once again into the average citizen and provide free higher education to their students. I strongly agree with Governor Deval Patrick's proposal to provide two years of community college free. Even better: provide two years funding towards any public education for all those who graduate high school in the state of Massachusetts.

Written by an anonymous Woman to Woman program participant

Reinstate Rental Control

I feel that rent control should be brought back into the state of Massachusetts. There is a wide range of residents that are renting and barely able to afford paying the high cost of rent that landlords are charge on a monthly basis. In this society, if you don’t have some kind of subsidy to help pay half of your rent, you need a job that pays at least twice what the cost of your rent would be each month just to get by. How do landlords expect one to be able to pay a high rent and keep your other expenses from not being in jeopardy like electricity, gas, phone, water, groceries, healthcare, and the like? Even worse, there are so many owners that are slumlords and expect to get paid when they don’t even keep up their end of the lease contract.

Too many people are in unstable living situations because of the difficulty of finding affordable housing. The government should be able to help anyone that is in need of affordable housing no matter what their situation would be. The requirement to even be qualified for affordable housing is ridiculous. I understand that their should be some kind of process; however, everyone needs somewhere to live. I believe that a solution to resolve this matter should be effective immediately: the government should pass a bill that implements rent control based on the criteria that landlords should not be able to charge no more than half of what your monthly salary is and take in consideration that you have other expenses to pay as well.

--RP

The Struggles of a Single Mother

Hi, my name is Lillian, I’m a 24 year old mother of 3 kids and I’m writing to you to let you know that I had my first child at the tender age of 17. I was a high school drop out and started working at the age of 16 years old when I became pregnant with my child and had to quit my job and depend on welfare. Meanwhile, my living situation was uncomfortable because my family disapproved of me becoming a single mother at that young age. Then I had my 2nd child when I was 21 years old.

I was in a relationship and had a high school diploma, but I was living in an uncomfortable situation. By the time I became pregnant with my 3rd child I had my own place and a job, but had to leave it due to a difficult pregnancy. After moving back to Boston I became homeless. Right now, I’m living in a shelter, but at least I live on my own and not at my mom’s house.

Right now, I’m not in the best situation, but I know that it will get better and I will be able to own my own home, own a business, and have a happy, healthy family. My advice to you is to be the best you can be, love your children, finish your education, and become successful. Even though you might get discouraged at times, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish your life goals.

I think what would have helped me when I became a teen parent would have been a counseling and education program that helps teenage mothers know that even though they made a mistake, it doesn't mean that they committed a crime and that there is always a solution to any issue no matter how small or big it is. I think that if there was more programs available to help teenage mothers, there will be less children being abandoned or worse.

--Lillian

Where Is All The Tax Money Going?

With all the taxes we pay the government, why are there still tons of homeless people with no home to live in? In traveling the city, I notice a lot of vacant buildings that can be used as apartments. I see my tax money go to construction and casinos when really the best place to invest is try to decrease the population of homeless by building affordable housing.

I’m a mother of 4 children and I live in a scattered site shelter - which I am grateful for - but in the meantime, it’s not a permanent place to live. All day long I look for apartments, but I don’t find any that I can afford. Massachusetts should spend our money building more houses so low-income and homeless families will have a better chance of finding a permanent home.
   
Yours truly,
Y. A. H.