California Dem’s Proposal: Students to Live in Cars Amid Housing Crisis

Clear Facts

• California Assemblyman Corey Jackson introduced a bill to allow some college students to live in their cars on campus parking lots.
• The bill targets five California State University locations and 20 California Community Colleges, addressing the housing crisis affecting nearly half a million students.
• Concerns have been raised about the financial and administrative resources needed to implement such programs, with some arguing it diverts funds from existing housing services.

In a bold move to tackle California’s escalating housing crisis, Democratic Assemblyman Corey Jackson has proposed legislation aimed at providing college students with the option to live in their vehicles on campus parking lots. This initiative targets five California State University (CSU) campuses and 20 California Community Colleges (CCC), offering a temporary solution to the dire housing situation faced by students.

The urgency of this proposal is underscored by alarming statistics. According to a report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, nearly half a million CCC students experienced homelessness in 2023. Assemblyman Jackson, acknowledging the gravity of the situation, stated,
“While emergency shelter in a vehicle is not ideal, it seems just a student knowing they may have a place to shelter, will go a long way to stabilizing their health and providing additional time to find a long-term housing solution.”

The bill, having cleared the Assembly Higher Education committee, proposes that pilot parking programs be initiated by July 2025. These programs would offer homeless students a secure place to park and reside in their vehicles, rather than being forced to find potentially unsafe off-campus alternatives. Jackson emphasizes that this is not a permanent fix but an immediate response to the unaffordable rent prices plaguing the state.

Despite the well-intentioned nature of the proposal, it has not been without its critics. Nune Garipian, policy and advocacy manager with the Community College League of California, expressed concerns about the financial and administrative burden such a program would impose on colleges.
“Establishing an overnight student parking program would require significant financial and administrative resources to ensure that students have a safe, clean and secure place to sleep at night,” Garipian noted. “Our colleges unfortunately just do not have these resources available.”

A glimpse of the proposal’s potential was seen at Long Beach Community College (LBCC), which conducted a trial run of a similar program in 2022. The initiative, known as the Safe Parking Program, cost $200,000 to launch and maintain, and provided students with Wi-Fi, restrooms, and access to campus showers. LBCC’s superintendent-president Mike Muñoz, who has firsthand experience with housing insecurity, remarked on the necessity of the program, stating,
“I know what that feels like. For us it was looking at the data in that moment and saying, ‘Hey, we know 70 students with real names and ID numbers that are sleeping in their cars.’”

However, not everyone is convinced that this is the right approach. Republican California Rep. Vince Fong criticized the proposal, arguing that it is symptomatic of a broader housing crisis exacerbated by policy failures.
“Proposals to allow college students to sleep in their cars is a symptom of a housing crisis that is hurting students and everyday Californians. This is a consequence of policy failures coming from a liberal agenda that refuses to allow for the building of more housing, further worsening California’s affordability crisis,” Fong asserted. “In dealing with a growing housing and homelessness emergency, California doesn’t need more parking lots, we need real solutions that cut red tape and end frivolous litigation so we can unleash housing development and build real roofs with real beds.”

As California grapples with this pressing issue, the debate over how best to address student homelessness continues, with stakeholders weighing the immediate needs against long-term solutions.

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