Affordable Housing Grant Program (CSU Systemwide) is sponsored by California State University (CSU) Chancellor's Office. This program provides direct financial support in the form of grants to housing-insecure students within the California State University system.

CSSA’s White Paper on Affordable Housing – CSSA CSSA’s White Paper on Affordable Housing The reality of the student housing crisis and the CSSA’s call to action Understanding and Improving Affordable Housing Accommodations for CSU Students The California State Student Association (CSSA) is a student-led organization committed to prioritizing student needs while engaging in higher education policy making at the systemwide, state, and federal levels.

Elements of the following white paper have been compiled from the Student-Centered Affordable Housing in California (SCAHC) report completed by representatives of the Center for Equitable Higher Education, the CSSA, the UCSA, and the SSCCC as part of an Affordable Housing working group from the 2023-2024 academic year .

The working group concluded that there are five “learnings” that are crucial to understanding and improving affordable housing accommodations for students. Other details and portions of the report are recommendations discussed by CSSA’s 2024-2025 Systemwide Affairs Committee. The Systemwide Affairs Committee added onto these “learnings”, some of which include an actionable recommendation.

This white paper is the CSSA’s interpretation of the report and committee discussion. As a key stakeholder and collaborator of the CSSA, we urge the Chancellor’s Office to consider our recommendations when deliberating affordable housing initiatives and the current state of housing needs across the entire CSU System.

Improved Reporting Mechanisms There are struggles with gathering and understanding data about student needs concerning affordable housing, from all three California systems of higher education. However, the state of California has funded two new programs (HESHG and RLP, discussed below) that are meant to provide new and affordable housing to students based on demonstrated need, accurate measurement, and reporting.

These programs have been brought online in the last five years and set clear expectations and incentives for more efficient data collection processes. During conversations about these programs, there was a concern that low-income or housing-insecure students refrain from applying for campus-supported housing due to financial constraints.

These individuals are often excluded from the metrics campuses use to assess the demand for new housing, and may lead to non-representative or skewed data. Another concern was raised about there being a lack of standardization across HESHG and RLP. Students at different campuses are subjected to inconsistent metrics used to determine their need for campus-supported affordable housing options.

This lack of standardization includes but is not limited to: Waitlists for on-campus housing and tracking how many students did not get placed into a unit. Distinct enrollment target guidelines from the state legislature and the Governor within the budget. Consistent studies and research on the market demand for any proposed buildings to ensure campuses can build and set reasonable and equitable rent prices.

Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program (HESHG) : This 2021 state-initiated program requires that low-income students are prioritized for any and all of the housing units built through this program’s state funding. However, there is no mention of these units needing to be constructed on-campus.

This program is administered using the following needs-based metrics: Demonstrating the number of “low-income” students that may need housing in the proposed dormitory building. California Student Housing Revolving Loan Program (RLP) : Provides low-interest loans to California higher education institutions to develop affordable student housing projects.

By emphasizing loans instead of grants, the program aims to maximize funding efficiency, enabling campuses to construct more housing with reduced reliance on state resources. This initiative prioritizes long-term financial sustainability and addresses student housing shortages.

Actionable Recommendations: Advocate for improved transparency about the need for affordable housing at the institutional level and further student involvement in decisions made concerning the construction of new, affordable student housing developments. Require all campuses to track and publicly report waitlist numbers, unmet housing demand, and low-income student applications for housing.

Develop a broader set of indicators beyond waitlists to capture the true need, including surveys of housing-insecure students who do not apply due to financial concerns. Mandatory Meal Plans and Access to Kitchen Facilities Mandatory meal plans pose an additional financial burden for students who may not be able to afford them.

It is important to evaluate whether they should be required, and determine the most appropriate pricing and structure for different meal plan options. Meal plans should be structured to realistically meet students needs and not be utilized as a source of excess revenue generation.

Actionable Recommendations: All CSU campuses should eliminate mandatory meal plans for low-income students or provide opt-out options for those who demonstrate financial hardship. CSU’s should implement increased tiered and flexible meal plan structures that allow students to choose affordable options that align with their needs and are available when students need them.

CSU’s should ensure accessible communal kitchens and meal-prepping resources in on-campus housing to support food security without forcing students into costly meal plans. Regular assessments of meal plan affordability and student needs should be conducted to ensure pricing remains equitable and does not create an undue financial burden.

Prioritized Student Housing Accommodations Currently, there is no clear system-wide guidance or legislation that dictates or suggests how California state higher education institutions should prioritize students for available lower-cost on-campus housing opportunities. Only housing funded through HESG has this as a criterion.

Page 4: “There are literally students who have to decline their admission because they’ve been on the waitlist way too long and they have to wait an entire year to go to another CSU. Now they’re graduating late and so I would argue that’s not very good for the GI-25. ” – CSSA Student Leader.

Actionable Recommendations: Priority access to on-campus housing should be given to students with demonstrated need, especially Californians who come from further distances or who are low-income. These students should have priority in lottery systems or any selection process that is used for on-campus housing accommodations.

At the systemwide level, students who cannot afford housing on campus should be given an exception to find more affordable accommodations throughout their academic tenure. Substantial equitable considerations must be given when deciding what “low-income” means. While discussing affordability, our institutions must understand that different students have unique interpretations of what is and is not affordable.

We should not be setting limiting thresholds without sufficient evidence to determine whether or not students can be exempt or given more financially accessible housing options. The CSSA recognizes that students selected to receive priority in the affordable housing selection process are decisions made at the campus level.

There appears to be a lack of standardization that leaves a lot of room for variation, leading to greater inequity in student outcomes. We must be conscious of this and work towards streamlining a more efficient and clear process regarding how housing units are safely built, assigned, and monitored.

Lower Unit Requirements for Students in Housing Units Currently, HESHG requires students to be enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester units to qualify to live in housing units built through the program. We recognize that these programs are intended to cater to low-income and historically marginalized students.

Acknowledging that, an increased course load of 12 units could create a barrier to academic success for those students, especially with rising tuition and fee costs working in lock step with an already high cost of living throughout our state.

Actionable Recommendation: Institutions using publicly funded affordable housing grants and initiatives similar to HESHG should allow all students to enroll in 6-semester units, instead of 12-semester units, to be eligible for such programs. Students with dependents have few options when it comes to on-campus and other affordable housing units, and are more likely to experience housing insecurity and homelessness.

Actionable recommendations: Affordable housing options should be more accommodating and accessible to student caregivers or students with dependents, given their needs. Exploring opportunities to convert available housing units to more affordable options and expand access for students with dependents.

Emergency housing programs nestled under basic needs services across the system, should also be able to accommodate student parents when it comes to their services, such as emergency housing. Increase fiscal and administrative support for programs that help these students, rather than relying on otherwise limited financial aid programs to support them.

There must also be an effort to reallocate and secure funding for rapid rehousing programs. Unrealistic Affordability Thresholds and Personalized Rent Based on Income The thresholds of programs like HESHG and RLP aren’t truly affordable to students since they view a student’s financial situation and equate the loans they have with how much money is at their disposal.

Additionally, without clear affordability standards (such as capping rent as a percentage of student income), the housing developed through these programs may still fail to meet the needs of the most financially vulnerable students.

Students experiencing housing insecurity might apply for an emergency grant through basic needs services and get denied if they have loans available in their account, a critical overestimation of financial means.

By viewing student loans as a student’s “income,” the HESHG and RLP programs, or even Basic Needs programs on CSU campuses, are further limiting students in already tight financial circumstances, to further reliance on those loans. Personalized rent based on income is a common and effective affordable housing practice. Under these regimes, a low-income household does not need to pay more than 30% of their income on rent.

When this occurs, the government will pay the difference between the rent paid and the market rate value of the housing to the landlord. Actionable Recommendations: Establish clear and realistic affordability thresholds by capping student housing costs at no more than 30% of a student’s actual income (excluding loans).

Require HESHG- and RLP-funded housing projects to use income-based rent models rather than assuming student loans as disposable income. Prohibit the consideration of student loans as “available income” when assessing eligibility for emergency housing grants or basic needs assistance.

Launch a pilot program at select CSU campuses to test an income-based rent structure, where rent is scaled to student earnings and affordability guidelines. The CSSA recognizes that CSU students come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and have unique housing needs throughout their academic journeys.

Beyond the recommendations outlined above, CSSA emphasizes the importance of establishing equitable definitions of housing affordability, ensuring student involvement in campus-level decision-making, and promoting fair and transparent housing assignment processes.

While much of the responsibility for affordable housing falls on state-funded programs like HESHG and RLP, we also call on the CSU system to take immediate action in removing barriers to current on-campus housing. This includes reforming the allocation process for housing, revising how emergency grants are awarded, and updating the criteria for students to qualify for emergency housing assistance.

To sustain and support students, CSU housing programs must be both effective and accessible. CSSA will continue to monitor legislative and programmatic developments related to HESHG, RLP, and other housing initiatives, urging the State Legislature and CSU leadership to take a proactive role in advancing safe and affordable housing solutions across the CSU system.

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