Latest news with #CoreyJackson
Newsweek
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
California Bill Lets Students Sleep in Cars During Housing Crisis
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The California Assembly is considering legislation that would require community colleges and California State University (CSU) campuses to develop overnight parking programs for homeless students to sleep in their vehicles. Assembly Bill 90, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Corey Jackson, recently passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee in a 6-2 vote with two abstentions. Newsweek reached out to Jackson via email on Saturday for comment. Why It Matters Homelessness affects approximately 12 percent of community college students and 9 percent of university students, according to the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council. Additionally, a 2023 survey by the Community College League of California found almost three out of five California community college students are housing insecure, with one in four experiencing homelessness. What To Know AB-90 was introduced on January 6 and amended in Assembly on March 20 of this year. The legislation would establish structured overnight parking programs for students with specific requirements including designated parking areas, security monitoring, access to bathroom facilities, and permit procedures. Community colleges would need to provide at least one lot with 50 spots. Permits would last at least four weeks for community colleges and two weeks for CSU campuses. Programs would prohibit drugs, alcohol, harassment, and intimidation while prioritizing connection to sustainable housing alternatives. The bill requires community college districts to adopt plans by September 2026 and vote on implementation by December 2026, while CSU campuses would implement similar programs upon legislative funding approval. The legislation provides civil liability protection for campus employees acting in good faith and requires detailed reporting on program usage and demographics. Some opponents to the bill argue logistical issues and concerns over clearing parking spots by morning for regular users. Costs for the possible parking programs are particularly pressing given California's budget crisis that has caused CSU to lose $375 million annually in state funding, according to the California Globe. A similar bill introduced by Jackson last year (AB-1818) passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate Appropriations Committee due to severe cost concerns. What People Are Saying Assemblymember Corey Jackson, author of AB-90 said: "This bill confronts a harsh reality. Many of our students who are sleeping in their vehicles or other displaced settings are unable to find affordable housing. And that's jeopardizing their education." Fox News host Hugh Hewitt blasted the bill on "America's Newsroom" last week: "The problem in California is there are not enough homes and apartments. It's a supply problem created over 50 years of no-growth, left-wing policies that are anti-housing. The solution is not to create homeless encampments, and each one of these will become that." He added: "People are going to enroll in the community college for 18 bucks a credit, and then they're going to put their car in the community college parking lot." Community College League of California policy manager Nune Garipian told the California Globe last month: "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." He added: "Our colleges, unfortunately, just do not have these resources available." Activists with Services Not Sweeps hold a car blockade to prevent the removal of tent shelters before Los Angeles City Bureau of Sanitation performs a cleanup sweep of a homeless encampment during the Covid-19 pandemic... Activists with Services Not Sweeps hold a car blockade to prevent the removal of tent shelters before Los Angeles City Bureau of Sanitation performs a cleanup sweep of a homeless encampment during the Covid-19 pandemic on January 28, 2021 in the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles. More PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images What Happens Next Community colleges must vote on adoption by December 31, 2026, with annual votes required until approval. CSU implementation depends on legislative appropriation of funds.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis
A new bill in the Golden State would allow homeless community college and state university students to sleep in their cars during the blue state's housing crisis. A Public Policy Institute of California report found California has among the lowest homeownership rates and the most expensive housing in the U.S., with rent about 50% higher than the national median. The California bill seeks to provide a short-term solution to the state's decades-long housing strife. Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a progressive California Democrat with a doctorate in social work, proposed a bill in March that would require the chancellors of the California state universities and the governing board of each community college district to develop an overnight parking program with "basic needs coordinators and campus security" by late 2026. California Mayor Wants To Give Homeless People 'All The Fentanyl They Want': 'Need To Purge These People' "This bill confronts a harsh reality to many of our students who are sleeping in their vehicles or other displaced settings as they are unable to find affordable housing, and that's jeopardizing their education," Jackson said. "What I am proposing is practical, immediate relief, overnight parking programs that turn campus lots into safe, temporary havens while the state works on lasting solutions." Read On The Fox News App Almost three out of five California community college students are housing insecure and one in four are homeless, a survey conducted by the Community College League of California in 2023 found. California Career Politician Barbara Lee Wins Mayor Race In Embattled Oakland "We are in a housing crisis. We are in a homelessness crisis, and it's not an either or approach. It's a both and all of the above approach," Jackson said. Many legislative proposals in California this year seek to fund student housing or cut through building regulation red tape, but Jackson aims to provide immediate relief for college students grappling with the housing crisis. Jackson, who acknowledged stakeholders' disapproval of his bill, proposed a similar one during last year's legislative session, but it failed. Its 2025 version, however, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee this year. The bill has yet to face its first committee review and is already grabbing national attention as conservatives and progressives question what's happening to California's housing market. "After wrecking affordability in California, Democrats have nothing left but bad ideas," California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement. "They're now proposing to let students sleep in cars because they can't fix the housing crisis they created. This isn't innovation. It's desperation from a party that spent decades raising costs, blocking new housing and wasting billions on programs that failed. Letting students live in parking lots isn't a solution. It's proof their policies have completely collapsed." When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Newsom's office said it does not typically comment on pending legislation. "California is bucking not only national increases but reversing long-term trends in the state from decades of inaction prior to this administration. California's progress in addressing homelessness is outperforming the nation," a Newsom spokesperson said. Newsom's office, citing 2024 records, stressed that homelessness is increasing nationwide by more than 18%, while California's national trend is closer to 3%, lower than 40 other states. Newsom also touted the state's more than 71,000 year-round shelter beds, which a spokesperson said is double the amount created during the 5-year period prior to the Newsom administration. But that hasn't stopped the criticism of Jackson's bill. Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt slammed the policy on "America's Newsroom." "The problem in California is there are not enough homes and apartments. It's a supply problem created over 50 years of no-growth, left-wing policies that are anti-housing. The solution is not to create homeless encampments, and each one of these will become that," Hewitt said. "People are going to enroll in the community college for 18 bucks a credit, and then they're going to put their car in the community college parking lot." Hewitt said these are the types of polices that drove people like him out of California "because it's simply a broken state" with a "deep blue supermajority" and no ideas about how to build houses. "Newsom should spend more time governing and addressing California's housing crisis, so students don't have to sleep in cars & less time launching his own podcast. [I don't know] how he sees himself as a 2028 contender when he has totally FAILED to address voters' top issue: AFFORDABILITY," Brendan Hartnett, a progressive policy advisor, added on X. Hartnett was referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast, which features a revolving door of Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, in an attempt to show he is open to "criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another." The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn't prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations article source: California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis
A new bill in the Golden State would allow homeless community college and state university students to sleep in their cars during the blue state's housing crisis. A Public Policy Institute of California report found California has among the lowest homeownership rates and the most expensive housing in the U.S., with rent about 50% higher than the national median. The California bill seeks to provide a short-term solution to the state's decades-long housing strife. Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a progressive California Democrat with a doctorate in social work, proposed a bill in March that would require the chancellors of the California state universities and the governing board of each community college district to develop an overnight parking program with "basic needs coordinators and campus security" by late 2026. California Mayor Wants To Give Homeless People 'All The Fentanyl They Want': 'Need To Purge These People' "This bill confronts a harsh reality to many of our students who are sleeping in their vehicles or other displaced settings as they are unable to find affordable housing, and that's jeopardizing their education," Jackson said. "What I am proposing is practical, immediate relief, overnight parking programs that turn campus lots into safe, temporary havens while the state works on lasting solutions." Read On The Fox News App Almost three out of five California community college students are housing insecure and one in four are homeless, a survey conducted by the Community College League of California in 2023 found. California Career Politician Barbara Lee Wins Mayor Race In Embattled Oakland "We are in a housing crisis. We are in a homelessness crisis, and it's not an either or approach. It's a both and all of the above approach," Jackson said. Many legislative proposals in California this year seek to fund student housing or cut through building regulation red tape, but Jackson aims to provide immediate relief for college students grappling with the housing crisis. Jackson, who acknowledged stakeholders' disapproval of his bill, proposed a similar one during last year's legislative session, but it failed. Its 2025 version, however, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee this year. The bill has yet to face its first committee review and is already grabbing national attention as conservatives and progressives question what's happening to California's housing market. "After wrecking affordability in California, Democrats have nothing left but bad ideas," California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement. "They're now proposing to let students sleep in cars because they can't fix the housing crisis they created. This isn't innovation. It's desperation from a party that spent decades raising costs, blocking new housing and wasting billions on programs that failed. Letting students live in parking lots isn't a solution. It's proof their policies have completely collapsed." When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Newsom's office said it does not typically comment on pending legislation. "California is bucking not only national increases but reversing long-term trends in the state from decades of inaction prior to this administration. California's progress in addressing homelessness is outperforming the nation," a Newsom spokesperson said. Newsom's office, citing 2024 records, stressed that homelessness is increasing nationwide by more than 18%, while California's national trend is closer to 3%, lower than 40 other states. Newsom also touted the state's more than 71,000 year-round shelter beds, which a spokesperson said is double the amount created during the 5-year period prior to the Newsom administration. But that hasn't stopped the criticism of Jackson's bill. Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt slammed the policy on "America's Newsroom." "The problem in California is there are not enough homes and apartments. It's a supply problem created over 50 years of no-growth, left-wing policies that are anti-housing. The solution is not to create homeless encampments, and each one of these will become that," Hewitt said. "People are going to enroll in the community college for 18 bucks a credit, and then they're going to put their car in the community college parking lot." Hewitt said these are the types of polices that drove people like him out of California "because it's simply a broken state" with a "deep blue supermajority" and no ideas about how to build houses. "Newsom should spend more time governing and addressing California's housing crisis, so students don't have to sleep in cars & less time launching his own podcast. [I don't know] how he sees himself as a 2028 contender when he has totally FAILED to address voters' top issue: AFFORDABILITY," Brendan Hartnett, a progressive policy advisor, added on X. Hartnett was referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast, which features a revolving door of Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, in an attempt to show he is open to "criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another." The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn't prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations article source: California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis
Fox News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis
A new bill in the Golden State would allow homeless community college and state university students to sleep in their cars during the blue state's housing crisis. A Public Policy Institute of California report found California has among the lowest homeownership rates and the most expensive housing in the U.S., with rent about 50% higher than the national median. The California bill seeks to provide a short-term solution to the state's decades-long housing strife. Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a progressive California Democrat with a doctorate in social work, proposed a bill in March that would require the chancellors of the California state universities and the governing board of each community college district to develop an overnight parking program with "basic needs coordinators and campus security" by late 2026. "This bill confronts a harsh reality to many of our students who are sleeping in their vehicles or other displaced settings as they are unable to find affordable housing, and that's jeopardizing their education," Jackson said. "What I am proposing is practical, immediate relief, overnight parking programs that turn campus lots into safe, temporary havens while the state works on lasting solutions." Almost three out of five California community college students are housing insecure and one in four are homeless, a survey conducted by the Community College League of California in 2023 found. "We are in a housing crisis. We are in a homelessness crisis, and it's not an either or approach. It's a both and all of the above approach," Jackson said. Many legislative proposals in California this year seek to fund student housing or cut through building regulation red tape, but Jackson aims to provide immediate relief for college students grappling with the housing crisis. Jackson, who acknowledged stakeholders' disapproval of his bill, proposed a similar one during last year's legislative session, but it failed. Its 2025 version, however, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee this year. The bill has yet to face its first committee review and is already grabbing national attention as conservatives and progressives question what's happening to California's housing market. "After wrecking affordability in California, Democrats have nothing left but bad ideas," California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement. "They're now proposing to let students sleep in cars because they can't fix the housing crisis they created. This isn't innovation. It's desperation from a party that spent decades raising costs, blocking new housing and wasting billions on programs that failed. Letting students live in parking lots isn't a solution. It's proof their policies have completely collapsed." When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Newsom's office said it does not typically comment on pending legislation. "California is bucking not only national increases but reversing long-term trends in the state from decades of inaction prior to this administration. California's progress in addressing homelessness is outperforming the nation," a Newsom spokesperson said. Newsom's office, citing 2024 records, stressed that homelessness is increasing nationwide by more than 18%, while California's national trend is closer to 3%, lower than 40 other states. Newsom also touted the state's more than 71,000 year-round shelter beds, which a spokesperson said is double the amount created during the 5-year period prior to the Newsom administration. But that hasn't stopped the criticism of Jackson's bill. Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt slammed the policy on "America's Newsroom." "The problem in California is there are not enough homes and apartments. It's a supply problem created over 50 years of no-growth, left-wing policies that are anti-housing. The solution is not to create homeless encampments, and each one of these will become that," Hewitt said. "People are going to enroll in the community college for 18 bucks a credit, and then they're going to put their car in the community college parking lot." Hewitt said these are the types of polices that drove people like him out of California "because it's simply a broken state" with a "deep blue supermajority" and no ideas about how to build houses. "Newsom should spend more time governing and addressing California's housing crisis, so students don't have to sleep in cars & less time launching his own podcast. [I don't know] how he sees himself as a 2028 contender when he has totally FAILED to address voters' top issue: AFFORDABILITY," Brendan Hartnett, a progressive policy advisor, added on X. Hartnett was referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast, which features a revolving door of Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, in an attempt to show he is open to "criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another." The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn't prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough.
Politico
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
How bad is California's housing crisis? A first-in-the-nation bill would let students live in cars.
By SACRAMENTO, California — A progressive Democratic lawmaker is seeking a simple but jarring remedy of last resort for California's college students navigating the state's housing crisis: Let them sleep in their cars. While roughly half a dozen state legislative proposals this year seek to fund student or faculty housing or loosen building regulations, the benefits would come far too late for current students struggling to stay afloat. With one in four California community college students experiencing homelessness in the past year, Democrats — who have a supermajority in the statehouse — face increasing pressure to deliver on affordability issues. Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a Southern California Democrat who has a doctorate in social work, said lawmakers can build long-term solutions while offering an immediate stopgap for a 'worst case scenario.' His proposal, which cleared its first committee last month, would require community colleges and the California State University system to plan for an overnight parking program for students. Without a sanctioned, on-campus parking program, students are left with no other option but to sleep in their cars somewhere off-campus where they might not be welcome, according to Jackson. Supporters make clear the measure is not intended to be a permanent solution to the affordability crisis, but with rent in California more than 30 percent higher than the national average, the situation is dire. 'This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,' Jackson said during a recent hearing. Both the CSU and community college systems are opposed to Jackson's effort, citing a lack of funding and a mandate that doesn't address long-term housing solutions. Jackson, in an interview, argued the colleges aren't taking a 'very moral position.' He said they've remained opposed even after he has offered to waive liability and delay implementation until funding is available. 'It's just a difference of opinion,' Jackson said. 'I believe that we are in a housing crisis. We are in a homelessness crisis, and so every single agency needs to do their part to help with the issue.' Last year, 4,000 students in the California State University system were on a housing waitlist. Most community college districts don't offer student housing, and there is often a waitlist for those that do. The state doesn't collect data on how long it takes for a student to get help after requesting housing assistance, a period when students tend to be the most vulnerable. 'We're trying to ensure that there is a way for our students to feel safe in these difficult moments,' said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, which is supporting the bill. A successful pilot Long Beach Community College, which has nearly 40,000 students, doesn't yet offer student housing. But when campus officials discovered in 2021 that more than 70 students were sleeping in their cars, they quickly got to work on a safe-parking pilot program that is believed to be the first in the region. Mike Muñoz, the college's superintendent-president, said the school is closing in on a contract to provide 422 campus housing beds by 2028 — but that immediate needs can't wait. Muñoz said he experienced housing insecurity as a single father going through college and at times resorted to sleeping in his car. 'I know what that feels like,' Muñoz said. '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.'' The college spent $200,000 per year to get the program running, starting a pilot at its trade-tech site before moving to a parking structure on the main campus with a direct line-of-sight from campus police headquarters. Students in the program have access to restrooms, showers and wireless internet. Of the 34 students who used the program during the 2023-24 school year, 22 remained through last fall, half were eligible for financial aid and all but four were older than 25. Muñoz said there were initial security concerns, and some campus officials had a 'sky is falling' attitude when he first broached the idea, convinced that 'all these bad things are going to happen if you open up structures and let students sleep.' 'None of those things happened,' he said. At first, the school had a separate security detail oversee the program, but it now relies on existing campus police after officials realized they 'weren't having incidents or concerns that rose to the level where we need on-site security,' Muñoz said. Muñoz was unsure of how Long Beach's program would work statewide, noting that the ability to 'secure a space for students' is different for each campus. Tough road ahead The measure cleared the Assembly Higher Education committee, its first hurdle, on a party-line vote. But similar bills in recent years have failed to reach Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk — including a narrower proposal from Jackson last year that was blocked by the Senate Appropriations Committee after an estimate that it would cost in the tens of millions of dollars. Another Democratic proposal, which stalled in 2019, would have required community colleges to allow students to sleep in campus parking lots. And this bill is facing skepticism even from members of Jackson's party. Democrats during the March committee hearing questioned the feasibility of the bill and whether students would have to pay for the program. Assemblymember Darshana Patel, a San Diego Democrat, told Jackson that she had privacy concerns about the 'constant surveillance' that would be needed to ensure the safety of students sleeping in their cars. Nune Garipian, policy and advocacy manager with the Community College League of California, told lawmakers the colleges already provide numerous temporary housing services such as access to the state's rapid rehousing programs, hotel vouchers, rental subsidies and partnerships with local nonprofits 'that have a long, trusted history with the community and are already doing this really great work.' Garipian said the bill could unintentionally divert funds away from those existing programs. '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 said. 'Our colleges unfortunately just do not have these resources available.' Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, said he's traveled up and down the state and talked to many students who are couch-surfing, in other short-term housing arrangements or sleeping in their cars. He said he understands concerns about liability, safety and funding — but notes that the proposal is not 'creating the problem' of student housing insecurity. 'It's just basically addressing the problem that is currently happening,' Hernandez said.
