Affordable Student Housing Program Information and Resources

Background

As part of the 2021-22 California Budget package, the Postsecondary Education Trailer Bill, Senate Bill (SB) 169, established the Higher Education Student Housing and Capacity Expansion Grant Program, later named the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program, and codified it in California Education Code sections 17200-17203.5. California Community Colleges refer to the Higher Education Student Housing Program as the Affordable Student Housing Program. This program provides California Community Colleges the opportunity to apply for state approval and financial resources to implement student housing for low-income students on their campuses.

In June 2023, SB 117 (Statutes of 2023) made significant changes to the Affordable Student Housing Program by revising the funding source for affordable student housing construction from a State General Fund grant to locally issued lease revenue bonds. Current legislation, SB 142 and SB 104, presents a preliminary solution and commits to a full resolution of the issues created by SB 117 through the provision of State resources. Please see the Affordable Student Housing FAQ for additional information. 

Round One Planning Grants and State Approved Construction Projects – 2022-23 CA Budget

In Round One, the California Department of Finance (DOF) served as the administrative entity for the Affordable Student Housing Program, and they requested that districts submit planning and Construction applications by October 2021. The DOF reviewed these applications, and they selected 12 construction projects and 70 planning grants for the 2022-23 California Budget Act package. These project approvals and planning grants were awarded in the Higher Education Trailer Bill, Assembly Bill (AB) 183 and AB 190. Additionally, AB 183 transferred the administration of the Affordable Student Housing Program from the DOF to the Chancellor’s Office.

Round Two State Approved Construction Projects – 2023-24 CA Budget

In Round Two, the Chancellor’s Office received Affordable Student Housing Construction applications on January 31, 2023. The required application documents and additional information about Round Two applications can be found below. These applications were evaluated using the Affordable Student Housing Scoring Rubric, which is based on prescribed ranking and scoring metrics from SB 169 and AB 183 as well as administrative entity metrics that were developed by the Affordable Student Housing Taskforce. The Chancellor’s Office reviewed these applications, scored, and ranked them using the Affordable Student Housing Scoring Rubric, and provided a list of recommended projects to DOF and California Legislature.  California Legislature selected 7 construction projects for the 2023-24 California Budget Act package.

Round Three Construction Applications – Proposed for the 2024-25 CA Budget

The application period for Round Three Affordable Student Housing Construction projects concluded in July 2023. These applications were submitted in the newly developed Student Housing module in the Facilities Utilization, Space Inventory Option Net (FUSION), an online statewide planning and project management tool. The Chancellor’s Office is evaluating Round Three construction applications using the Affordable Student Housing Scoring Rubric, which will score and rank these applications. The Chancellor’s Office will recommend a list of eligible, ranked construction projects to DOF and California Legislature, which has final authority over selection of applications for the 2024-25 California Budget Act. Preliminary application scores will be available for review by December 2023.

Information and documents for the three rounds of Affordable Student Housing applications may be viewed below.