S24.03.18 Clarify The Rubric Used for State Funding of Student Housing for California Community Colleges

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Spring 2024
WHEREAS, Out of 41,000 respondents from 57 California community colleges, 60% of students were housing insecure and 19% were homeless within the previous year [1], which evidence suggests affects academic performance and can lead to additional basic needs insecurities [2];

WHEREAS, California Senate Bill, SB 169 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, 2021) distributes $500 million from the 2021-2022 state budget with 50% allocated to California community colleges, and SB 169 is intended to provide affordable low-cost housing options for students in public postsecondary education in California, establish a program for one-time grants for student housing construction, and encourage colleges to acquire and renovate commercial properties for student housing [3, 4]; and

WHEREAS, In round two of Affordable Student Housing Construction Grant applications the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office provided their evaluation of the applications to the California Legislature, who has final authority over which applicants are selected and may include appropriations for successful applicants in the 2023- 24 California Budget Act [5]; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly encourage the legislature to clarify and better define the rubric used to rank California community colleges’ need for affordable student housing funds;

RESOLVED, The Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly encourage the legislature to clearly define how funds are allocated and to which ranks funds will be given to; and

RESOLVED, The Student Senate for California Community Colleges strongly urge the legislature to continue funding for student housing in its future budget.
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The SSCCC supports the intent of this resolution and recognizes the critical need for transparency and equity in the allocation of affordable student housing funds. Affordable student housing remains a top SSCCC budget priority, and we continue to advocate for sustained investment in this area.

The SSCCC will also work with the Chancellor’s Office to encourage the Legislature to clarify and define the rubric used to assess and rank colleges’ need for affordable housing funding, and to provide greater transparency in how funding is allocated, including which ranking tiers are prioritized. We will continue to urge ongoing funding for student housing in future state budgets to ensure that all students have access to safe, affordable, and stable housing.