Background

As part of the 2021-22 California Budget package, the Postsecondary Education Trailer Bill, Senate Bill 169 (2021), established the Higher Education Student Housing and Capacity Expansion 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 Grant Program. This program provides California Community Colleges the opportunity to apply for student housing grants over a three-year period with three rounds of grant awards.

Round One Planning and Construction Grants – Funded in the 2022-23 CA Budget

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

Round Two Construction Grants – Proposed for the 2023-24 CA Budget

In Round Two, the Chancellor’s Office received Affordable Student Housing Construction Grant 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 the 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 provided their evaluation of Round Two Construction Grant applications to California Legislature, which has final authority over selection of applications and may include appropriations for successful applicants in the 2023-24 California Budget Act.

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

Currently, the application period for Round Three Affordable Student Housing Construction Grants is open. These applications will be submitted in the newly developed Student Housing module in the statewide online facilities planning tool, Facilities Utilization, Space Inventory Option Net (FUSION).

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

Resources