CEO Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce

Across our campuses, we have seen the prevalence of food and housing insecurities. In recognizing the existence of these challenges, it is time for State and community college leaders to proactively engage in discussions and interventions to alleviate these insecurities that affect our students.

Inaugural Project Manager Announced

The CEO Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce of the Community College League of California (CCLC) is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Joshua Williams as the inaugural project manager for the Real College California Coalition. The Real College California Coalition was created in 2019 to provide the latest evidence, integrated with hands-on guidance to inform implementation and help members develop a cutting-edge mindset to increase their institutional effectiveness and strengthen California’s ecosystems to support students’ basic needs and promote college completion. Today, more than 90 colleges are part of the Real College California Coalition.

Joshua Williams is a Los Angeles-based higher education professional and student development expert who most recently worked as a Practitioner-Researcher for The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, based out of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. In this role, he supported staff, faculty, and leaders at colleges nationwide by providing basic needs coaching and technical assistance training. He also led partnership engagement, including strategic programming and communication between the Hope Center and its partner colleges.

Prior to joining The Hope Center, Joshua worked at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) as the Director of Toro Guardian Scholars (TGS), serving former foster youth and supporting students’ basic needs. Throughout his time there, he built the TGS program, launched the CalFresh Outreach program, raised funds to support students in need of academic support and emergency aid, and co-designed an app aimed at securing food for students on campus. Additionally, he served as a CSU basic needs ambassador, where he provided training to campus staff and faculty to increase awareness of basic needs challenges and resources.

Joshua's primary practitioner experiences include advocating for institutional policy change, providing student basic needs support, and case management services for former foster youth and first-generation college students. He has a B.A. in Communications from CSUDH, and an M.S. in Counseling from California State University, Long Beach, with a focus on student development in higher education.

Joshua begins September 25.

Background

In Spring of 2018, the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges (CEOCCC) established the CEO Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce to provide system-wide recommendations to address housing and food insecurities faced daily by our students. This Taskforce will review and discuss research literature, participate in discussions with leading scholars, and hear from students regarding their challenges with housing and hunger. The Taskforce is co-chaired by Tammeil Gilkerson, President of Evergreen Valley College and Matthew Wetstein, Superintendent/President of Cabrillo CCD.

Real College California Coalition

The goal of the Real College California Coalition offers support for incubating, implementing, and assessing equity-based solutions and support services to address basic needs insecurities experienced by students in California’s community colleges. Member institutions receive help building internal capacity and gaining tools to impact institutional transformation in the following three areas:

Statewide & National Advocacy for Basic Needs Support Services and Funding
Networking, Support, and Professional Development
Elevating Best Practices & Research

For more information about the coalition, click here.

Research & Reports

Basic Needs Among California Community College Students
The RP Group and the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce (2023). Community College League of California.

Financial Aid: Feeling the Pressure of Increased Volume and Accountability
Tammeil Gilkerson, John Hernandez, Matthew Wetstein and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce (2023). Community College League of California.

Deepening the Commitment to Affordable Student Housing
Nune Garipian, Tammeil Gilkerson, Andra Hoffman, Rebekah Kalleen and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce (2023). Community College League of California.

Addressing Food Insecurity in California Community Colleges
Tom Burke, Colleen Ganley, Tammeil Gilkerson and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce (2022). Community College League of California.

Addressing Affordable Transportation Needs
JoAnna Schilling and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce (2021). Community College League of California.

Addressing Housing Affordability Issues
Matthew Wetstein, Rebekah Kalleen, and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce (2021). Community College League of California.

A Helping Hand: How The California Community Colleges are Addressing Insecurity
Wood, J. Luke and Harris III, Frank (2020). Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL).

College Ready, Hungry, and Homeless
Nicole Restmeyer (2018). Contributors: Monica Henestroza; Jeanice Warden; Kevin Powers; Carlos Alcala. California State Assembly, Speakers Office of Research.

Struggling to Survive – Striving to Succeed: Food and Housing Insecurities in the Community College
Wood, J. L., Harris III, F., & Delgado, N. R. (2016). Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL).

Still Hungry and Homeless in College
Goldrick-Rab, S., Richardson, J., Hernandez, A., & Cady, C. (2018). Wisconsin HOPE Lab.

Hungry and Homeless in College
Goldrick-Rab, S., Richardson, J., & Hernandez, A. (2017). Hungry and homeless in college: Results from a national study of basic needs insecurity in higher education. Wisconsin HOPE Lab.

Basic Needs Survey Report
Chancellor's Office for California Community Colleges (2018).

2018 Taskforce Fact Sheet

2018 Taskforce Recommendations

The League

CEO Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce