A California lawmaker is pushing for an unusual solution to the state’s housing affordability crisis by introducing a bill that would allow college students experiencing homelessness to sleep on campus in their cars.
The bill, introduced by State Rep. Corey Jackson, would require California community colleges and the California State University system to create overnight parking programs for students with housing insecurity.
Jackson, a Democrat who represents portions of Southern California, said his plan is a last-resort response for students with nowhere else to turn, according to a report from Politico.
“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” Jackson said during a recent public hearing. “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.”
California’s rental prices exceed the national average by more than 30%, according to Zillow data cited by Politico. Meanwhile, 2023 data published by an educational task force found that one in four community college students in California reported experiencing homelessness in the prior year.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, homeless students made up 3% of California’s total student population in 2023 and 2024.
During the 2022-2023 school year, the cumulative statewide homeless student enrollment figure totaled 246,480, according to the California Department of Education. That was up from 224,191 during the prior year.
The department also reported that 83% of homeless students in 2022-23 were “temporarily doubled-up,” when referring to their current dwelling type. The remainder of respondents said they were living in a hotel or motel, another temporary shelter, or were “temporarily unsheltered.”
Higher education leaders have voiced opposition to the new bill, citing a lack of funding and logistical hurdles. The California State University and community college systems argue that the legislation places an “unfunded mandate” on institutions that are already stretched thin.
Despite Jackson’s offer to delay implementation until funding is secured and to waive liability, the opposition has persisted.
“It’s just a difference of opinion,” Jackson told Politico. “They’re not taking a very moral position.”
Supporters say the measure is a necessary emergency response.
“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.
One model already exists, according to the Politico report. Long Beach Community College, which enrolls nearly 40,000 students, launched a safe-parking pilot program in 2021 after discovering that more than 70 students were sleeping in their vehicles.
The college now spends $200,000 per year to maintain the program, which provides access to restrooms, showers and internet, according to Politico.
“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,’” said Mike Muñoz, the college’s superintendent and president.
Muñoz, who previously experienced homelessness while attending college as a single father, said that concerns over security were largely unfounded. “None of those things happened,” he told Politico.
