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The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

Students ask SBCC to go beyond state’s call for shower access bill

Students+ask+SBCC+to+go+beyond+states+call+for+shower+access+bill

The Associated Student Government fine-tuned its recommendations for free shower access to all homeless students, as it prepares to present its ideas to the Board of Trustees.

California legislature passed Assembly Bill 1995 in September, requiring all community colleges to provide homeless students access to campus showers. The bill was vague about who qualifies for access to the shower facilities, leaving it up to each college to determine how permissive they will be. The senate was eager to discuss a resolution detailing its suggestions for who should have access.

About five percent of City College students have experienced homelessness and that many said it affected their school work, according to The Independent.  

Bryanna Siguenza, student senate vice president of external affairs.
Bryanna Siguenza, student senate vice president of external affairs.

The bill, crafted by Assemblymember Das Williams, a former City College student and passed by Gov. Jerry Brown, hopes to ease some of the burdens of homelessness by taking the issue of personal hygiene out of the equation.

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“We want to make sure the needs of the students are being met,” said Bryanna Singueza, vice president of external affairs.

The senate decided to recommend that any student under 25 that is enrolled in at least five credit-units that is in need should be granted access, while also encouraging the board to go beyond the state’s set parameters.

“It really affects student success,” said Student Trustee Emily Gribble.

Gribble will present the senate’s suggestions to the Board of Trustees on Nov 10. From their, the board will choose how it would like this program to work. The free shower program will be enacted statewide on Jan. 1.

“I have no doubt the board will do everything in their power to do what’s right,” Gribble said.

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