Our Work
The Student Homes Coalition develops and advocates for statewide policy to address the student housing crisis, including laws related to student tenant rights, funding for affordable student housing, and changing regulations that currently limit on and off-campus student, staff, and faculty housing development. We collaborate with student groups, higher education nonprofit organizations, and housing developers to address barriers to student housing development through legislation.
2025 Legislation
Campus Development Zones - AB 893 (Fong)
Why do we need AB 893?
The vast majority of California’s college students, faculty, and staff rely on a limited number of unaffordable and inaccessible off-campus housing units. New housing projects near colleges can be difficult to develop due to restrictive local zoning policies. Existing streamlining laws fall short of achieving the scale needed to address the student housing crisis, and often prevent low-income students from being eligible for affordable units.
What does AB 893 do?
AB 893 creates a streamlined, ministerial review process for mixed-income housing projects located on commercially zoned land in “campus development zones,” or the area within a half-mile radius of a college campus. To qualify, a development must also set a portion of its units at an affordable rent. Students will be able to qualify for deed-restricted units based on Cal Grant, Promise Grant, and Pell Grant eligibility.
Where is AB 893 now?
AB 893 has passed the California state legislature and is currently awaiting signature on the Governor's desk!
Coastal Student Housing - AB 357 (Alvarez)
Why do we need AB 357?
A requirement for Coastal Commission approval can extend the already lengthy timelines for review and further increases the cost of developing student housing at colleges in the Coastal Zone. By ensuring that aspects of projects that do not have an impact on coastal resources, like parking, are left up to universities to decide, AB 357 will help to prevent delays in student housing development.
What does AB 357 do?
AB 357 provides universities with the power to decide how much parking their students need and creates a new pathway for minor changes to projects to be approved through a streamlined process. This will allow California’s colleges to develop student housing more efficiently and affordably.
Where is AB 357 now?
AB 357 has passed the California state legislature and is currently awaiting signature on the Governor's desk!
Community College Land Use - AB 648 (Zbur)
Why do we need AB 648?
California Community Colleges are an integral part of our higher education system. Over 2 million students attend one of California’s 116 community colleges, making CCCs the largest higher education system in the United States. Unfortunately, the majority of those students experience housing insecurity, and nearly a quarter have experienced homelessness, according to the LAO. Given that just 14 community colleges offer housing, it is essential to reduce barriers to more on-campus construction.
What does AB 648 do?
​AB 648 help to increase the supply of affordable housing at community colleges by streamlining the construction of student housing at California Community Colleges (CCC). Specifically, this bill by exempts new student and staff housing projects from local zoning regulations if the project is constructed on property owned or leased by a California Community College District, and is within a half-mile of the main or satellite campus.
Where is AB 648 now?
AB 648 has passed the California state legislature and is currently awaiting signature on the Governor's desk!
Students Experiencing Homelessness Pilot Program - SB 685 (Cortese)
Why do we need SB 685?
Financial aid is crucial in making higher education accessible for homeless students, particularly at institutions like California State University (CSU), where approximately 3,200 students identified as homeless during the 2023- 2024 financial aid application period. These students rely on financial aid to cover the significant costs associated with attending college, including tuition, housing, and basic living expenses. Even with existing grants, an unmet financial need of roughly $10,000 remains.
What does SB 685 do?
​SB 685 establishes the Financial Assistance for Students Experiencing Homelessness Pilot Program at four CSU campuses. Starting in the 2026–27 academic year, each campus must cover the financial aid gap for qualifying students, excluding federal loans, during their first four years in the program. Addressing the current financial aid gap for students who have experienced homelessness will improve their likelihood of completing college ultimately helping them achieve stability and success in the long run.
Where is SB 685 now?
SB 685 has become a two-year bill.
2024 Legislation
Student Housing Density Bonus - AB 3116 (Garcia)
Why do we need AB 3116?
The student housing density bonus was created in 2019 by SB 1227 (Skinner). Though it provided a promising avenue for affordable student housing development, it was not used in the five years since its creation. AB 3116 set out to fix that.
What does AB 3116 do?
AB 3116 makes essential updates to the student housing density bonus by creating a sliding scale of density bonus relative to affordability, removing the requirement for developers to master lease student housing to universities, and providing additional incentives and concessions.
Where is AB 3116 now?
AB 3116 was signed into law on September 22, 2024!
CEQA Exemptions for On-Campus Housing -
SB 312 (Wiener)
Why do we need SB 312?
The student housing crisis is more severe than it ever has been in California, with 8% of UC students, 11% of CSU students, and 20% of CCC experiencing homelessness. Our public higher education system needs to build more housing, but CEQA and the lawsuits it inspires prevents much-needed environmentally friendly housing from being built.
What does SB 312 do?
SB 886 (2021) was signed into law to grant CEQA exemptions for qualified student housing projects on UC, CSU, and CCC land. However, the bill contained several provisions that limited its usability. SB 312 fixes those issues allowing full utilization of the CEQA exemptions to promote student housing development.
Where is SB 312 now?
SB 312 was signed into law on September 19, 2024!
Protecting Security Deposits - AB 2801 (Friedman)
Why do we need AB 2801?
There are few requirements on landlords to provide evidence on why they keep some or all of a renter's security deposit. This is an issue that impacts students and other renters across the state.
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What does AB 2801 do?
AB 2801 provides important protections to renters in California by limiting the ability of landlords to take security deposits without providing justification and evidence of repairs.
Where is AB 2801 now?
AB 2801 was signed into law on September 19, 2024!
2023 Legislation
Student Housing Crisis Act - AB 1630 (Garcia)
What would AB 1630 do?
Within 1,000 ft. of any college or university in California, AB 1630 would allow the construction of up to 3 floors of housing, without density restrictions, so long as 20% of units are deed-restricted affordable to students, staff, and faculty.
Where is AB 1630 now?
Although AB 1630 did not move forward, it put the student housing crisis on the agenda and helped to bridge the gap between higher education and housing policy.
What comes next?
The Student Homes Coalition is building a grassroots network of students across the state to expand on the successes of organizing for AB 1630, in addition to conducting research into how we can best tackle the student housing crisis in California.