DOF Releases List of Recommended Student Housing Grant Recipients

Today, March 1, the Department of Finance (DOF) released the list of applications it recommends for funding in FY 21-22, per the SB 169 Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program.

Click here for DOF’s cover letter and list of recommended projects.

SB 169 provides $2 billion over three years for student housing projects at CCC, UC, and CSU.

DOF recommends funding construction of four community college district (CCD) student housing projects worth $214.5 million. They also recommend providing $135 million for projects at UC, and $120 million for projects at CSU. Additionally, DOF proposes $18.1 million for planning grants for CCD projects. It is unclear at this time how they determined the proposed funding amounts for planning.

SB 169 provides $500 million in FY 21-22, and states intent to provide 50% of available program funds to CCD projects. DOF’s recommendations fall short of providing half the funds to CCDs, which would be $250 million in FY 21-22. While this gap could be made up over the full three years of the program, we believe additional CCD projects could benefit from construction dollars in this fiscal year. Given the state’s healthy fiscal position and the need to make expenditures that are exempt from the Gann Limit, including capital outlay, there may be room to request funding of additional CCD projects.

The Legislature will now evaluate DOF’s recommendations and determine which projects should be funded as part of the budget process. The Governor has proposed $750 million for the second installment of this program in FY 22-23.

Rebekah Cearley
CCFC Legislative Advocate