About
About the bond
Two bond proposals moving through the Legislature, AB 736 (Wicks) and SB 417 (Cabaldon), would place a $10 billion affordable housing bond on the June 2026 ballot.
The bond funds, if passed by the voters, would support construction of affordable housing units across the state. However, as currently written, the bond bills do not include any funding for housing projects at UC or CSU.
How student housing strengthens the bond
Public universities and colleges make the case for a bond stronger. Public universities and colleges bring:
- Large, shovel-ready housing projects that deliver units in high-cost areas.
- A proven record of capital project delivery.
- Matching funds that extend every public dollar.
Including public universities and colleges in the bond would add thousands of additional housing units, new political strength, and deeper alignment with California’s long-term affordability and equity goals.
UC is ready to build
- UC is prepared to match every bond dollar 4-to-1, bringing significant leverage to the table.
- UC has plans for 11,000+ student beds that are ready to build but lack funding.
- Under a prior housing grant, UC turned $600M in state funds into $1.9B in project value.
- Since 2010, UC has added 42,000 new student beds and currently houses over 41% of students systemwide.
- A further 15,000 beds are already planned for delivery by Fall 2029.
Coalition of supporters
The University of California, the California State University, and a coalition of undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, advocates, businesses, and workers are advocating for an amendment that would dedicate $1 billion to support student housing projects at UC, CSU, and community colleges – a change that supports the core intent of the bond: fund affordable housing for Californians.