BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1228 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 1228 (Gipson and Atkins) As Amended September 2, 2015 Majority vote -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |76-2 |(May 14, 2015) |SENATE: |40-0 |(September 8, | | | | | | |2015) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED. SUMMARY: Extends priority for housing at the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges (CCC) to homeless youth, and requests campuses to develop plans to ensure that homeless and foster youth have housing during breaks. The Senate amendments: 1)Specify that the extended priority housing for current and former homeless and foster youth is applicable only at each campus of the UC, CSU, and CCC that maintains student housing facilities. AB 1228 Page 2 2)Clarify that each campus of the UC, CSU, and CCC is requested to develop a plan to ensure current and former homeless and foster youth have access to housing during breaks, regardless of whether the campus maintains student housing facilities. 3)Clarify the definition of "homeless youth" to mean a student under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a former homeless youth, at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the receipt of his or her application for admission by a campus of the UC, CSU, and/or CCC. 4)Specify that a student who is verified as a former homeless youth, as defined, shall retain that status for a period of six years from the date of admission to a campus of the UC, CSU and/or CCC. EXISTING FEDERAL LAW: Defines the term "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including, but not limited to, the following: 1) children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; 2) are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; 3) are living in emergency or transitional shelters; 4) are abandoned in hospitals; 5) are awaiting foster care placement; 6) have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; and, 7) are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings (42 United States Code Section 11301, et seq.). EXISTING STATE LAW: 1)Requests the UC Regents and the CSU Trustees to explore methods of using the admissions-by-exemption category to AB 1228 Page 3 assist the transition of students in foster care into four-year public institutions of higher education (Education Code Section (EC) 66019.3). 2)Ensures that current and former foster youth who are students at the campuses of the CCC have stable housing, by requesting a CCC campus to give priority for housing to current and former foster youth. Additionally, requests a CCC campus that maintains student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, to give first priority to current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation, and next give priority to current and former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year (EC Section 76010). 3)Ensures that current and former foster youth who are students at campuses of the CSU and UC have stable housing, by requiring a CSU and UC campus that maintains student housing facilities to give priority to current and former foster youth. Additionally, a CSU and UC that maintains student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, shall first give priority to current or former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation, and next give priority to current or former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year. Specifies that the UC shall adhere to said requirements to the extent that the UC Regents approve to do so by an appropriate resolution (EC Sections 90001.5 and 92660). FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS: Background. According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), college homelessness is a serious issue that is often AB 1228 Page 4 overlooked; there exists an assumption that if someone is homeless, he/she is so focused on basic needs like food and shelter that school is not a concern. However, NAEHCY contends that for homeless youth, education is the answer to providing homeless youth means to be able to enter into the work force, earn a living, and no longer be homeless. To note, there is no concrete estimate for the number of homeless college students nationwide, but 58,158 college applicants indicated that they were homeless on federal financial aid forms for the 2012-13 academic year (most recent data available to date); which, according to NAEHCY, is up 8% from 53,705 in the previous year, according to federal data. NAEHCY argues that the number is likely understated, since some students may be staying in a car, relatives' or fellow classmates' couches, or motels, and do not realize they are technically homeless, or do not want to admit to it. Additionally, California has the highest rate of homeless youth in the nation and twice the rate of homeless students as the national average (2% in CA vs. 2% nationally). Purpose of this measure. According to the author, housing proves to be a regular barrier to homeless youth succeeding in college. The author states, "This bill will help prioritize homeless youth for on-campus housing but also make such housing available to them during academic breaks to help prevent other problems from arising in the student's life that distracts them from succeeding in their educational pursuits." Existing resources available to homeless students. UC. UC campuses work with current and former homeless students by providing them with emergency financial support, temporary housing, food, and connecting them with community resources. Each campus has case managers or social workers in place to work with these students and assist in their transition. The UC system has a global food initiative that includes food security for low-income students. Additionally, UC at Los Angeles (UCLA) administers a program focused on assisting current and former homeless youth that has received nationwide attention. UCLA's program provides food vouchers and free stays in vacant dormitory rooms to its homeless students. UC at Davis and San Diego also operate food pantries. To note, presently, there is no known explicit UC policy to ensuring current and former AB 1228 Page 5 homeless youth have priority in receiving campus housing. CSU. Many CSU campuses have community partnerships with local entities in order to provide necessary services and needs for current and former homeless students. To note, presently, there is no known explicit CSU policy to ensuring current and former homeless youth have priority in receiving campus housing. CCC. Currently of the 112 campuses, 11 campuses provide student apartments and/or dormitory rooms that are either on campus or adjacent to the campus. To note, presently, there is no known explicit CCC policy to ensuring current and former homeless youth have priority in receiving campus housing. Analysis Prepared by: Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN: 0002103