What is this bill about?
AB 79 increases student awareness of essential services by encouraging the sharing between County Liaisons of best practices and successful approaches.
How does it align with yli’s values?
College is hard enough without worrying about where your next meal will come from or where you will sleep, yet this is a reality for many. In a survey of California students conducted by the Student Aid Commission, two- thirds of college students were identified as food insecure and over half were identified as housing insecure, and 66% of undergraduate students are food insecure, with female, low-income, African American, Latinx and older students working to pay for school and often while parenting most likely to have trouble meeting their basic needs.
Individuals unable to meet their basic needs face short and long-term physical and mental health consequences. It can be devastating for college students as it negatively impacts their access, first-year retention, and academic success, leaving them more likely to drop out and undermining the investments that they and financial aid programs have made. Unfortunately, many students eligible for public benefits are not enrolled, which is a missed opportunity for students in need. In a new study by UCLA Center for Healthy Policy Research, they found that among food-insecure students, almost half have never used CalFresh and 9% had never heard of the program. This is especially troublesome given California’s status as the state that provides the most funding for these programs.
yli partners with thousands of youth across the state, the majority of whom are low-income youth of color. We have witnessed first hand the ways in which the lack of basic services and resources block myriad other opportunities. Our youth depend on us to pass policies like AB 79, which establishes a statewide knowledge sharing network of basic needs coordinators and county liaisons who will ensure students are connected with the resources and services they need to thrive.
This policy aligns with our Education Justice Platform, which advocates for free, high quality, whole person education for all.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just submitted a letter endorsing this bill, and we are showing our support on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Who supports this bill?
- California Association of Food Banks (Sponsor)
- Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organization (Sponsor)
- Center for Healthy Communities (Sponsor)
- UAspire (Sponsor)