Bill: Community college campus car camping OK

Acknowledging the proposal arrives in advance of a larger, more substantial solution, Berman said he believes the initiative could assist many students pressed to make ends meet.

“The goal isn’t to have community college students or having anybody sleeping in their cars. A healthy society would be able to provide housing for residents at every income level. But we are so far away from that in California,” he said.

Berman said the proposal works in tandem with the push in Sacramento to facilitate more housing construction to loosen the affordability crunch facing so many Californians.

“The solution is building more housing,” he said. “But in the meantime, we cannot ignore the fact that we have tens of thousands of people sleeping in their cars every night.”

He said establishment of areas for students to sleep in their cars overnight would make it more safe for those who otherwise may be forced into parking and staying in riskier areas.

Berman noted groundwork for the initiative was laid by a law former governor Jerry Brown signed in 2016 mandating community college districts offer shower facilities to students who need such access.

Similar initiatives have been proposed locally as well, such as last year when Dave Mandelkern, member of the San Mateo County Community College District board, suggested transforming district property into a safe haven for school community members living in their cars or otherwise coping with housing instability.

For his part, Mandelkern lauded Berman’s proposal as a means of providing some temporary relief while more sustainable solutions are implemented.

“It’s not an ideal solution to the housing crisis we have in San Mateo County but it is a reality and offering a safe place to students is an interim step we can take to providing more affordable housing solutions,” he said.

Mandelkern added there are local examples of such safe havens such as in Mountain View and East Palo Alto, where officials have carved out spaces for those who sleep in their cars to stay.

Mandelkern’s proposal last year did not gain much traction with his colleagues on the board, as some critics suggested the policy would invite establishment of homeless encampments on campuses or other security issues.

Other critics said it was not the board’s place to address housing problems facing students, and that a more sound practice would be directing them to support services provided by the county. Others suggested it might be more reasonable to examine offering permanent housing for students such as dorms.

Despite the naysayers, Berman’s proposal bolstered Mandelkern’s belief that the initiative was viable when it was raised last year and he said he would like to revive the discussion later this month.

“I knew I was on the right track and I’m glad to see him introduce the legislation,” Mandelkern. “It might spur our district and other districts into action.”

Berman said he only plans to mandate educators assure a plan is in place for to accommodate those who need to sleep in their cars, but implementation of that policy will be left to local officials.

“This is not meant to be a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Berman.

Looking ahead, Berman said the bill will head to the state higher education committee where it will face its first formal test. But in discussing the initiative with student advocacy groups and others in the education community, Berman said the feedback received has been positive.

A key issue to be addressed as the bill moves ahead will be financing the initiative, noted Berman, who pledged a commitment to fighting in favor of funding implementation.

“It could impact thousands, to tens of thousands of Californians, so I think that is a price worth paying,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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