They cite data that show 1 in 5 community college students experience homelessness, a rate higher than in the UC and CSU systems. They argue housing is urgently needed on two-year campuses, which educate the bulk of the state’s college students at a low cost. Now, those seem to be most of the UC and CSU projects.”Ĭommunity college leaders have fought back. “If you look at the staging of the money, we should focus on the projects that are most shovel ready. “In all honesty, a lot of the community college projects, they’re not ready for prime time,” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) during a March subcommittee hearing on education finance. But there appears to be some support for prioritizing projects at universities in the next round of funding. Multiple lawmakers have said they do not support delaying additional money for student housing altogether. “Universities likely would have a higher probability of implementing them successfully.” “The universities have had a long history of building and operating residential buildings for students,” Paul Steenhausen, an analyst in the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said during an April hearing.
Holmes community college series#
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the Legislature on fiscal and policy matters, made a series of recommendations, including a suggestion that lawmakers prioritize UC and CSU projects over those at community colleges. Thirty projects - including 21 from community colleges - totaling $2.1 billion were submitted, far exceeding available dollars.Īnd in the scramble for state funding, community colleges have had to withstand doubts over whether they are prepared to operate student housing. College officials are hoping to draw from a pool of money set aside by the state to fund housing projects at public colleges and universities.īut in a state where scarce affordable housing forces some students to sleep in cars, live in motels or commute long distances to pursue their education, there isn’t enough construction money.Ĭolleges and universities across the state’s three systems submitted proposals in hopes of receiving grants for student housing through the 2023-24 budget. Cerritos intends to kick in $12 million, but needs state funding to make up the rest of the $80-million cost. The proposal and nearly two dozen others in the California Community College system are among a new generation of affordable housing projects aimed at bringing stability to underserved community college students, many of whom are under immense pressure to balance school and work, amid skyrocketing rent and other costs.īut the Cerritos plan is missing a critical element: money. “What we have seen is that when we give them that opportunity, they perform better in the classroom.” And I’m not saying that just in a hyperbole,” said Cerritos College President Jose Fierro. “The community college housing project is a project that will transform the lives of our students. The expected per-person rent for a four-bedroom, two-bedroom or studio unit? About $717 a month. Plans to build affordable housing for 400 community college students at Cerritos College are all drawn up, featuring communal kitchens and spaces where tutors and mental health specialists can visit students.
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