NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4029
SPONSOR: Gonzalez-Rojas TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing liaison
officers, regional contacts, and campus contacts to assist college
students experiencing homelessness to find housing
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Establishes liaison officers, regional contacts and campus contacts to
assist college students experiencing homelessness to find housing.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the education law by adding a new article, 127-A which
sets forward definitions for liaison officers, campus contacts, and
regional contacts. It also sets forward ways in which colleges will
support students experiencing homelessness via ressources and planning.
This section also determines assistance with college fees and estab-
lishes a pilot program.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
A 2019 Hope Center survey of 22,000 City University of New York under-
graduates found that 14 percent had experienced homelessness while
enrolled in classes. More than half (55 percent) of the survey's
respondents experienced some form of housing insecurity over the last
year. According to the United States Department of Education, nationwide
14 percent of four-year college students and 18 percent of community-
college students experience homelessness in a given year.
Student homelessness in college has found to have a severe impact on
their academic success. Other research has found that students who expe-
rience homelessness are more likely to miss more school, experience high
stress, and are often forced to make unfair choices between meeting
their basic needs and participating in school.
States like California, Maine, and Tennessee have all passed legislation
creating liaisons to help unhoused college students. New York should
follow suit and create liaisons at CUNY and SUNY. This bill would desig-
nate liaison officers, regional contacts, campus contacts to assist
students experiencing homelessness. The bill would also result in
colleges providing priority to students experiencing homelessness in the
placement of housing and assist with college fees related to enrollment,
health and wellness services, and other fees. The legislation would also
establish a pilot program aimed to increase enrollment, attendance, and
the success of students experiencing homelessness.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
