On Thursday, September 17th, the UCR School of Public Policy will host a talk by sophomore public policy major Sana Jaffery on the financial hardships felt by students as they find themselves unable to break their leases amid the COVID-19 crisis. 

Sana Jaffery recently found herself facing a housing issue, only to find out hundreds of students dealing with the same crisis. Looking to find an equitable solution, Sana began working with Riverside city council members, fair housing, and UCR to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement. Jaffery had previously spoken about this issue affecting many students at UCR and other universities on NBC4 News.

“Throughout history there has been a massive power disparity between property owners and renters,” said Jaffery. “For thousands of college students stuck in off-campus leases, landlords are charging rent for un-utilized housing while threatening legal action or harming student credit scores when students are unable to pay. COVID-19 has highlighted this power disparity and shown how truly relevant this issue is.”

This event is open to the general public. Attendees must register to attend. Registrants will receive an email in advance of the event with a link to join. 

This event is part of the UCR School of Public Policy Student Spotlight Series, which features the policy-related work of UCR public policy students. During the shelter-in-place order for California, all events are being held online. For more information about the series, visit spp.ucr.edu/events.