Spring 2020
Committee:
Legislative Affairs Committee
WHEREAS, one in five California community college students have reported being homeless in the past year with “31% being black and without permanent shelter, 34% being transgender, and 27% of gay and lesbian students lacking stable homes” [1];
WHEREAS, the retention rate for colleges with existing rapid re-housing pilots already exceeds the general rating for “community colleges at 76% in comparison to an otherwise 70% retention rate for community colleges without rapid re-housing” [2];
WHEREAS, accessibility to current rapid re-housing programs is limited to only youth, “placing age restrictions in the defined range for adult youth being of 18-24” and given the California [3] Community College system is composed of a diverse number of students including older adults over the age of 24; and
WHEREAS, bills such as SB 568 (as of May 17, 2019): Reducing Homelessness Among California’s College [4] Students, AB 302 (2019) which introduced the idea of using college parking lots as designated areas [5] for homeless students to sleep and AB 74 (2019) which provided a funding mechanism to [6] support bills drafted to reduce student homelessness have been pursued, demonstrating an evident basic need for housing in the community college system specifically; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges pursue implementing future pilots based on the demonstrated success of current pilots in removing housing as a structural and motivational barrier, therefore, increasing completion and transfer outcomes;
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work to remove age restrictions on current housing initiatives and pursue further legislation without age restrictions; and
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges partner with higher education representatives in drafting a bill proposal to pursue further legislation for on campus rapid re-housing funds as well as additional alternative housing initiatives.
Citation 1: Jovenes Inc.org, “College Housing”, published in 2018. http://jovenesinc.org/college-housing/
Citation 2: Sara Rab, Christine Smith, Vanessa Coca, Elizabeth Looker, California Community Colleges #Real College Survey, (California, 2019)
Citation 3: Gainer, Miachel, “ProjectHome.org: Facts on Homelessness”, published on November 18, 2019. https://www.projecthome.org/about/facts-homelessness.
Citation 4: John Burton Advocates for Youth, “SB 568: Reducing Homelessness Among California’s College Student”, published in 2019. https://www.jbaforyouth.org/sb-568
Citation 5: California Legislative Information. AB-302 Parking: Homeless Students. Sacramento, CA: Marc Berman, 2019. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB302
Citation 6: Office of the Chancellor, (AB 74) Rapid Rehousing Partnerships (AB 74-RRH) Informational Webinar, (California State University, 2019). https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/basic-needs-initiative/Pages/basic-needs-partnership-rfp.aspx
WHEREAS, the retention rate for colleges with existing rapid re-housing pilots already exceeds the general rating for “community colleges at 76% in comparison to an otherwise 70% retention rate for community colleges without rapid re-housing” [2];
WHEREAS, accessibility to current rapid re-housing programs is limited to only youth, “placing age restrictions in the defined range for adult youth being of 18-24” and given the California [3] Community College system is composed of a diverse number of students including older adults over the age of 24; and
WHEREAS, bills such as SB 568 (as of May 17, 2019): Reducing Homelessness Among California’s College [4] Students, AB 302 (2019) which introduced the idea of using college parking lots as designated areas [5] for homeless students to sleep and AB 74 (2019) which provided a funding mechanism to [6] support bills drafted to reduce student homelessness have been pursued, demonstrating an evident basic need for housing in the community college system specifically; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges pursue implementing future pilots based on the demonstrated success of current pilots in removing housing as a structural and motivational barrier, therefore, increasing completion and transfer outcomes;
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges work to remove age restrictions on current housing initiatives and pursue further legislation without age restrictions; and
RESOLVED, that the Student Senate for California Community Colleges partner with higher education representatives in drafting a bill proposal to pursue further legislation for on campus rapid re-housing funds as well as additional alternative housing initiatives.
Citation 1: Jovenes Inc.org, “College Housing”, published in 2018. http://jovenesinc.org/college-housing/
Citation 2: Sara Rab, Christine Smith, Vanessa Coca, Elizabeth Looker, California Community Colleges #Real College Survey, (California, 2019)
Citation 3: Gainer, Miachel, “ProjectHome.org: Facts on Homelessness”, published on November 18, 2019. https://www.projecthome.org/about/facts-homelessness.
Citation 4: John Burton Advocates for Youth, “SB 568: Reducing Homelessness Among California’s College Student”, published in 2019. https://www.jbaforyouth.org/sb-568
Citation 5: California Legislative Information. AB-302 Parking: Homeless Students. Sacramento, CA: Marc Berman, 2019. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB302
Citation 6: Office of the Chancellor, (AB 74) Rapid Rehousing Partnerships (AB 74-RRH) Informational Webinar, (California State University, 2019). https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/basic-needs-initiative/Pages/basic-needs-partnership-rfp.aspx