BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1228
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
1228 (Gipson and Atkins)
As Amended September 2, 2015
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-2 |(May 14, 2015) |SENATE: |40-0 |(September 8, |
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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