BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS


          AB  
          1228 (Gipson and Atkins)


          As Amended  September 2, 2015


          Majority vote


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          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.










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          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  








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            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  








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          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  








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          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