Assemblywoman Anna Caballero spoke at a news conference at Fresno State last week to introduce Assembly Bill 2784, which aims to combat homelessness among college students. Sponsored by the California State Student Association, AB 2784 will implement the Emergency Student Housing Loan Program. It would offer a loan for housing costs that would be forgiven if a student completes the academic semester during which the loan was awarded, Caballero said. The program would pilot at three colleges within the California State University system. “For years, we have acted as if college students were immune to homelessness, that they had the resources and that the community had the housing availability to meet the student’s housing needs, but this is no longer the case,” Caballero said. Caballero emphasized the prevalence of homelessness at CSU campuses. According to a 2018 CSU study of basic needs, she said, 10.9 percent of students have experienced homelessness one or more times within the past 12 months.
Categories:The Collegian