'Upside Down' 

Maddy Montiel was between classes on the morning of Oct. 25, about eight weeks shy of graduating from Cal Poly Humboldt with an environmental science and management degree, when their phone buzzed with a text message from their friend and neighbor Brad Butterfield.

"They're kicking us out," Butterfield wrote, the "they" referring to campus administration and the "us" referencing the 15 or so students who live in vans and RVs in campus parking lots.

"Everything just kind of got turned upside down from there," Montiel told the Journal. "It felt like the entire world stopped."

Before Montiel had a chance to speak with Butterfield about the visit he'd received that morning from campus administrators advising him that he and his neighbors would have to vacate the parking lots in the coming weeks, they received a campuswide email from the administration with the subject line "enforcement of parking regulations."

The email said there have been "an increasing number of RVs and other vehicles parked long-term" in campus lots in violation of a campus policy on the books since 2016 and creating "unsanitary and unsafe conditions for both those encamped and for our campus community at large." The email added that university police had received calls from "concerned members of the campus community expressing fear and frustration about the situation," warning the policy prohibiting sleeping in vehicles or camping on campus would soon "be enforced without exception."

In subsequent meetings with campus administrators, Butterfield and Montiel say they have not gotten a clear answer as to why the university has decided to enforce a years-old policy midway through the semester. They say administrators have not provided them any documented examples of unsanitary or unsafe conditions.

The Journal reached out to CPH's press office, asking what prompted the enforcement notice, how many students were being affected and for a copy of the policy in question. In response, the university provided the policy but did not answer the other questions.

While Butterfield and Montiel say they do not believe they have received a straight answer as to what prompted the notice, they believe it may have been a response to students in so-called alternative living situations organizing and getting more media attention on campus.

A few days before a campus staff member came knocking on Butterfield's RV door in the G11 parking lot, the CPH student newspaper The Lumberjack published a story headlined, "Students Find Financial Freedom in Vanlife," which detailed the experiences of several students, including Montiel, living in RVs and vans. The article also noted that while on-campus housing, "depending on type and meal plan, can range from $5,000 to $15,000," van life offers a "compelling solution" for students seeking a "more affordable lifestyle." (A year-long parking permit costs $315, according to the CPH website.)

The article also noted a new campus club — the Alternative Living Club — would be holding its first meeting Oct. 27, in part to provide information to anyone "interested in embracing this lifestyle."

Montiel told the Journal the decision to form the club spawned from a push to get more resources for those living in vehicles on campus and other houseless students. Last school year, they said some students pushed for the ability for houseless students to receive mail on campus but were rebuffed by the administration. Then, someone realized campus clubs were afforded an on-campus mailing address and a group of students decided forming a club would not only solve the mail dilemma, but could also help houseless students advocate for additional services, while providing fellow students a venue to share information about the realities of alternative living situations.

"We wanted to come together, create the club, provide a space for people like us to come together to create a safer community, access more resources and create a platform for people interested in living this way," Montiel said, adding that after a lengthy process that included writing a constitution and jumping through campus hoops, the club gained approval and scheduled its inaugural meeting.

Then came the university's enforcement action.

"I think the timing of everything is just a little too obvious," Montiel said.

Butterfield, for his part, told the Journal he thinks it's important university administration provide a transparent answer about why it decided to take this enforcement action now, as "it really appears this has nothing to do with sanitation and safety." He also wants to make sure university officials know living in a vehicle isn't simply a lifestyle choice for some, but the only viable avenue to obtain a degree.

"I did five years at Santa Rosa Junior College and when I was looking at the cost of finishing out my degree, it was really not possible if I was going to be paying housing and tuition costs," Butterfield said.

Butterfield figured he could afford tuition if he cut housing costs , so he moved to Humboldt in January with plans to live out of his Chevy 3500, saying he later learned that was "rough living" and sold the vehicle to buy a 76 GMC Sports Coach complete with a kitchenette and bathroom. But he didn't make the decision on a whim, saying he first contacted the university's parking division and asked if it would be OK. He said he was told that "so long as I had proper permitting I wouldn't be bothered." (Montiel said they also have been in touch with university police and parking throughout their two years staying in a vehicle in campus parking lots, and no one had ever indicated they needed to move off campus."

Butterfield said his might not be the ideal living situation for all but it meets his needs and is allowing him to pursue his degree. He generally cooks meals in his rig, going to the campus dining hall a couple of times a week, and showers in the campus kinesiology building. About twice a week, he said he drives up to the RV dump station in McKinleyville to drain his rig's wastewater tank and refill its 50-gallon freshwater tank.

Montiel, meanwhile, said they used to dream of a traveling van life when they were younger but then came to realize it was their "only option" if they wanted to attend college without simultaneously working full time, which would allow them to get the most out of their studies.

As to where things go from here, it's unclear. Butterfield and Montiel said university officials initially told those being displaced that if they couldn't find housing, they could go to the safe parking site on Samoa Boulevard operated by Arcata House Partnership (AHP). But through a little research, not only did they learn the site is funded through a $600,000 contract with the city to care for homeless residents, but that the site also has a long waiting list.

"The school trying to push students onto that facility is so wrong in so many ways, but mostly because there is such limited availability there and we wouldn't want to take a spot away from someone who really needs it, for who it could be life changing," Montiel said, later adding that they hope a silver lining of this whole saga may be AHP getting some more media attention and more community support. (AHP did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.)

CPH has subsequently offered to allow displaced students to stay free of charge in on-campus housing, but Butterfield said he's concerned that would take up emergency shelter beds on campus, which are reserved for students who need immediate housing help due to an eviction, a domestic violence situation or other unforeseen circumstances.

The bottom line, both said, is they don't see any reason for the university to force them to move mid semester. But if it comes to that, both said they hope to find a property where they can park together. Montiel noted, "living alone as a female in your vehicle has a lot of risk to it," adding they only chose to do so because they thought they could do so in relative safety on campus.

Butterfield, who said trying to preserve his current living situation has been so all consuming he's been unable to attend class since the Oct. 25 notice, knowing that being forced off campus would make his life and studies "tenfold more difficult," said he's still hopeful some good can come of this situation.

"Despite all the chaos, we're still pushing for a positive outcome," he said. "The goal is still for the school to realize this is an opportunity for growth. I think there are a lot of creative solutions that could benefit students in alternative living situations and the university itself. Students living in vehicles have been part of the culture of campus for a long time and will likely continue to be, whether the school wants it or not. If they use this as a catalyst for change, that's the best outcome."

As this edition of the Journal went to press Nov. 7, the CPH Academic Senate was meeting with this issue on the agenda. Check northcoastjournal.com for the latest updates.

Thadeus Greenson (he/him) is the Journal's news editor. Reach him at (707) 442-1400, extension 321, or [email protected].