A new California Assembly bill aimed at addressing the housing crisis for students on coastal university campuses will take effect on January 1, 2024. Known as Assembly Bill 357, or the Student & Faculty Housing Success Act, the legislation simplifies the approval process for developing student housing at institutions such as the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
California’s coastal universities face significant housing shortages, impacting students’ ability to secure stable living conditions. In collaboration with student organizations like the Student Homes Coalition and the UC Student Association, Assemblymember David Alvarez, representing San Diego, spearheaded this initiative to expedite housing development.
Under the new law, the Coastal Commission, which oversees development in California’s coastal zones, will have a streamlined process for approving campus housing plans. By eliminating redundancies in the approval process, the bill aims to enable a higher proportion of proposed housing projects to advance more swiftly, ultimately reducing costs and increasing the overall housing supply.
Kate Rodgers, policy director and co-chair of the Student Homes Coalition, emphasized the urgency of addressing housing insecurity among students. “Tens of thousands of students experience homelessness every single year in California,” she stated. “This problem is particularly acute at our coastal campuses.” The hope is that by accelerating housing projects, institutions can better serve their students.
The bill authorizes the Coastal Commission’s executive director to classify minor amendments to long-range development plans as de minimis, meaning they have a negligible environmental impact. This determination will help reduce delays caused by minor changes. Additionally, the Coastal Commission is now required to defer to universities regarding parking requirements for housing facilities, a significant move given that parking structures often incur high construction costs and can occupy valuable space needed for more housing units.
The passage of Assembly Bill 357 in October 2023 comes on the heels of Assembly Bill 130, which introduced broader reforms to facilitate housing development across the state. This earlier legislation mandates that the Coastal Commission approve projects within 90 days and exempts certain housing developments from appeals, further expediting the process.
The collaboration between student groups and lawmakers reflects a growing recognition of the urgent need for affordable housing. Many students at UCSC have reported struggles with housing security, with a 2020 survey indicating that 9% of students experienced homelessness. The university currently accommodates 9,300 students, while enrollment numbers for fall 2024 are projected at 17,940 undergraduates and 1,998 graduates.
The recent shift to a randomized lottery system for housing contracts has raised concerns among students, particularly low-income and first-generation individuals. Evelin Chavez, a second-year UCSC student and member of the Student Union Assembly, expressed her worries over the implications of this new system. “Low-income first-generation students are being pushed out of an education because they cannot afford to live near their campus,” she said.
Chavez has taken a proactive approach to advocate for housing solutions, engaging with local policymakers and working on initiatives to raise awareness about student housing struggles. She noted that the lack of affordable housing leads to broader challenges, including food insecurity, which affects over 40% of UCSC students, as reported in the same survey.
UCSC has outlined plans to expand housing to accommodate 100% of new full-time student enrollment exceeding 19,500, as well as up to 25% of new employees. The university aims to increase its housing capacity by 40% within the next decade, with several projects currently in the pipeline targeting completion between 2026 and 2030.
Scott Hernandez-Jason, a representative from UCSC, stated in an email, “We appreciate the state’s effort to support universities in having more flexibility in developing projects.” As the new law takes effect, stakeholders are hopeful that these legislative changes will lead to increased housing availability for students and faculty alike, providing a more stable living environment for those pursuing their education along California’s coast.
