Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Student HomesCoalition-sponsored Assembly Bill 893, or AB 893, into law Friday, which is set to expand affordable housing options around UC campuses, including UC Berkeley.
AB 893 was one of three bills passed that seek to expand both on and off-campus housing for students. The bills streamline the construction of mixed-use, mixed-income residential units within a “campus development zone,” or a half-mile radius surrounding a UC, CSU or community college.
“By streamlining the creation of mixed-income housing near campuses, we’re tackling the student housing crises head-on and ensuring every student has a stable place to call home while they pursue their education,” said District 49 state Assemblymember Mike Fong in a written statement to The Daily Californian.
The Student Homes Coalition drafted and sponsored AB 893, according to Kate Rodgers, co-chair and policy director at the Student Homes Coalition.The bill expands eligible land requirements to assure that cities approve affordable housing projects near campuses in “dense” or “walkable areas,” according to a Student Homes Coalition press release.
For UC Berkeley, any parcel of land available within a half-mile radius will be eligible for housing development, including spaces above commercial areas such as parking lots, restaurants and stores, Rodgers noted.
“At UC Berkeley, (the number of on campus residents) is the lowest out of all the UCs at just 27% of students, which basically just means the freshman class,” Rodgers said. “Once you’re an upperclassman, you’re basically on your own in terms of finding housing.”
She explained that this bill will allow for about five to six stories of housing to be built above commercial space near universities, with 15% of those units being affordable and accessible to students.
A key feature of AB 893 is that, unlike many affordable housing projects across California, students can access low-income housing built with the support of AB 893 through CalGrant, Pell Grant and California College Promise Grant eligibility, according to the press release.
“This bill was shaped through the voices of students and university leaders who see firsthand how housing insecurity undermines educational success,” Fong said in the statement.
In the vision of the Student Homes Coalition, this bill seeks to help meet the growing demand for affordable student housing. The bill will “require” that the city approve mixed-use, mixed-income housing development, according to the press release.
Rodgers emphasized his sentiment about the importance of groups coming together to advocate for affordable student housing.
“I really do think that we all have to work together if we’re going to be able to solve the housing crisis,” Rodgers said.