WHEREAS, A Food and Housing Survey taken by the California Student Aid Commission found that 36% of students report housing insecurity from 2018-2019, and 53% report housing insecurity in 2022-2023, a 17% increase [1];
WHEREAS, in Spring 2021 SSCCC passed the Resolution Affordable Low Income Housing, which “advocated for California Community Colleges statewide to partner with local organizations in alignment with “The Village” Cerritos College affordable housing model to provide affordable on/off campus housing options to low income students”[2] and, as of now 14 different California Community Colleges offer some form of On-Campus Living [3], with more housing developments underway [4];
WHEREAS, Research shows that 95.8% of total residential land area in California is zoned as Single-family-only, and 30% of all land (including commercial and park space) is zoned single-family-only, severely constraining the spatial possibilities for denser and more affordable housing, in The California Zoning Atlas, a partnership between UC-Berkeley Othering and Belonging Institute and the UC-Davis Center for Regional Change. [5]; and
WHEREAS, It is observed that there is a need for housing across California; Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for California community colleges statewide to perform Housing Suitability studies in line with their local students needs and conditions, with a focus on the costs and benefits of constructing housing at the California Community Colleges;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges follow up with California Community Colleges that observed the 2021 Resolution “Affordable Low Income Housing” to assess the outcomes surrounding local organization partnerships that aimed to provide affordable on/off campus housing options to low income students;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges create marketing materials surrounding the importance of student housing, and the success of current student housing offered at the 14 different California Community colleges mentioned prior; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for the creation of a legislative bill to allocate funding for the building and/or purchasing of on and/or off campus affordable housing for California Community College students statewide, in accordance with the 2021 SSCCC Resolution given the end of the pandemic recession.
Citations:
[1] https://www.csac.ca.gov/food-and-housing-survey
[3]https://www.cccco.edu/Students/Support-Services/College-Dormitories-and-Housing [4]
[5]https://belonging.berkeley.edu/single-family-zoning-california-statewide-analysis