University of California Basic Needs Legislative Report
July 1–December 31, 2020
Introduction
The Budget Act of 2019 (Assembly Bill 74) included $15 million to address food and housing insecurity at the
University of California (UC), which will be referred to as “basic needs” throughout this report. This legislative
report provides information regarding the distribution of funds, program efforts and student impact from July
1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. This report also provides an update to the most recent June 2019–June
2020 basic needs legislative report, which was submitted to the Legislature on September 16, 2020.
1
A
separate legislative report will be submitted in July 2021, in accordance with the Budget Act of 2019, to
provide updates on the $3.5 million in “rapid rehousing” efforts at UC. Appendix I includes the text from the
Budget Act of 2019, to which this report responds.
Distribution of Funds Across UC
Of the $15 million the State of California allocated to UC to address basic needs insecurity, the UC Office of the
President (UCOP) distributed $5 million equally across the 10 campuses ($500,000 per campus to provide a
common baseline level of support); $7 million in proportion to the estimated number of students who are food
and/or housing insecure at each campus (based on systemwide survey findings); and $2.5 million in innovation
grants. UCOP retained $500,000 to support systemwide coordination of research, technical assistance,
technology innovation, and coordination of the Systemwide Basic Needs Committee. Lastly, $50,000 of the
$500,000 retained for UCOP was allocated toward the student basic needs services at the UC Washington, DC
Center (UCDC). Appendix II displays campus funding allocations.
Innovation Grants
Similar to the previous year, UCOP initially planned to award a second round of innovation grant funding in the
amount of $2.5 million through a competitive application process; however, given the COVID-19 pandemic,
UCOP instead allocated the remaining innovation grant funds across all 10 campuses, proportionate to the
amount of students who are basic needs-insecure at their campus (Appendix II). Campuses used these
additional operating funds to respond to the basic needs challenges students faced as a result of the pandemic
and to adapt their services to socially distant protocols.
Campus Use of Funds
UCOP reviewed and approved the spending plan for each campus prior to releasing the funds for each
allocation. Appendix III includes a detailed summary of campuses’ basic needs budgets as planned through
June 2021.
As demand for services and resources increased, staffing became paramount to ensure timely delivery of
services, designing of outreach efforts accessible to students, tracking of necessary data to assess efforts, etc.
As a result, during this 2020 reporting period, campuses hired 33 new full-time equivalent employees, 142
undergraduate student workers and 38 graduate students to assist students with their basic needs. These hires
account for $3,667,820 of funds spent. Basic needs staff support students in emergency situations, provide
CalFresh application assistance, conduct financial analyses, coordinate data collection and analyses, provide
1
https://www.ucop.edu/operating-budget/ _fi l es /l egreports /20-21/uc_basic_needs_l eg_report-92220.pdf
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financial aid advising, facilitate educational workshops, and bolster outreach and marketing efforts, among
other purposes fundamental to the success of basic needs services.
Overall Programming Efforts for Basic Needs
Across all campus basic needs services (food and housing), a total of 35,432 unique students were served, and
a total of 205,214 student contacts were made as a result of the State-funded basic needs programs (Figure 1).
The ongoing funding for student basic needs has been essential for UC student success and well-being. The
essential work of basic needs staff has had a profound impact on mitigating the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic. Staff have ensured that virtual and in-person programs continuously support students in crisis.
Students themselves are challenged, as evidenced by the number of students still seeking basic needs services
during remote instruction. Additionally, many students have anecdotally expressed concern about accessing
technology and internet bandwidth as well as balancing family and home obligations while remote learning.
According to the 2020 UC Undergraduate Experience Survey, 63 percent of UC undergraduate students
reported feeling at least somewhat concerned about meeting their basic needs (e.g., food, housing, etc.)
2
as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, Chicano/Latino (76 percent) and African American (70 percent)
students reported the highest levels of concern with meeting their basic needs (Figure 2). These data reflect
the unique challenges specific populations face within UC, which also include parenting students, as well as
students who are LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous and/or people of color (BIPOC), all of whom are
disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure 1: Total number of students using campus basic needs services during
July 1—December 31, 2020
Campus
Unique students served*
Student contacts**
UC Berkeley
3,160
15,208
UC Davis
4,263
57,156
UC Irvine
2,323
9,599
UC Los Angeles
3,412
5,752
UC Merced
469
3,861
UC Riverside
2,055
6,706
UC San Diego
3,457
19,822
UC San Francisco
1,140
6,469
UC Santa Barbara
13,927
68,213
UC Santa Cruz
1,226
12,428
TOTAL
35,432
205,214
* The number of unique (unduplicated) students served is calculated by gathering the number of individual student
identification card “swipes” registered at all basic needs services. The swipes amount to the total number of individual
students served by state-funded basic needs programs.
** Student contacts represent the total number of student identification card “swipes,” or the total number of times
students were served by s tate-funded basic needs programs.
2
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/ucues-covid-19
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Figure 2: Impact of COVID on “meeting basic needs” by student ethnicity
Food Support
UC campuses have been national leaders in establishing food assistance efforts to address student food
insecurity, thanks to sustained funding. As previously reported, campuses offer a variety of ongoing food
assistance programs, educational workshops, and food operations. This year, the enduring impacts of COVID-
19 on financial instability have underscored the importance of sustaining basic needs services to support
student success. To ensure continued food assistance during the pandemic, all campuses have applied creative
modifications to ensure public health safety with their services, such as contactless pick-up of groce ry bags, de-
densified workplaces, and scheduled food support appointments, among other adaptations. The following are
specific examples of new campus efforts developed to address food insecurity:
Food Assistance
• Created pop-up food pantries in the community and offered additional food pick-up site s
• Expanded grocery gift card programs
• Provided limited food delivery services for immunocompromised or disabled students
• Launched or expanded CalFresh programs to assist students with applying for CalFresh benefits
• Provided three-day supplies of meals for students in quarantine rooms
• Implemented a grocery bag pick-up and meal kit program, including no-cook bags
• Expanded pantry food options
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Outreach
• Held CalFresh informational clinics via Zoom
• Made workshops and case management virtual
• Provided basic needs awareness information
Operational
• Opened a kitchen and basic needs hub for students to cook, do laundry, sign up for CalFresh benefits,
and pick up food
• Hired staff and student staff to assist with outreach, education, and services
See Appendix IV for a complete list of funded program descriptions, by campus.
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)
Eight out of ten campuses currently have on-campus locations that accept EBT payments. CalFresh issues to
participants an EBT card with up to $192 per month that can be spent on healthy foods. Of the remaining
campuses, one plans to provide EBT Point of Sale (POS) locations in the near future, and one has a campus
dining provider (Aramark), which does not have the capability to accept EBT via their POS systems. Appendix V
includes a summary of the status of EBT implementation across UC campuses as of December 31, 2020.
CalFresh
The University has worked in collaboration with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the
California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), the California Community Colleges and the California State
University to address student eligibility, outreach, and enrollment for CalFresh. In October 2020, CDSS finalized
a new work-study verification form for all college students to confirm their eligibility to apply for CalFresh in all
counties. This was a key step in ensuring the student CalFresh application process provided clear and
consistent verification for all eligible college students across all the segments of higher education. UC has
focused efforts to ensure that students have access to this letter by working closely with campus financial aid
offices who include the letter in students’ financial aid portals. In addition, UC has continued to assist CDSS
with suggestions not only for the continuous improveme nt of CalFresh service model designs, data
infrastructure and reporting, but also for real-time county and CDSS efforts to improve undergraduate and
graduate student experiences with accessing CalFresh.
At the local level, every UC campus has organized virtual CalFresh enrollment clinics to provide students with
program information and application assistance. Prior to the pandemic, many campuses hosted mass outreach
clinics in-person to facilitate the submission of high numbers of pre-screened CalFresh applications, while
other campuses hosted smaller clinics with greater frequency. Campuses have developed creative outreach
efforts, including mass mailings of postcards to encourage students who may qualify for CalFresh to apply.
Campuses are proactively contacting students who qualify for work-study to encourage them to apply for
CalFresh. In addition, campuses allocated funding to support the production of enhanced CalFresh marketing
materials, to expand the availability of EBT capability at campus markets, and to purchase equipment and
supplies for the sole purpose of supporting student CalFresh applications. Some campuses also established
dedicated hours for virtual CalFresh drop-ins and virtual appointments, and they updated their campus
CalFresh websites to reflect updated eligibility criteria. These creative solutions account for the large numbers
of student contacts reported in Figure 3.
In addition to CalFresh outreach and enrollment efforts, UC Davis currently participates in the CalFresh
Restaurant Meal Program (RMP). Four additional campuses plan to participate in RMP; however, many
campuses cannot participate because their counties do not participate in the program. Campus leadership is
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looking forward to working with their local county programs to increase RMP participants in order to ensure
that qualifying students have access to this support. Appendix VI includes a list of campuses who currently
participate or plan to participate in the CalFresh RMP.
Coordination with State and Local Resources
Campuses continue to collaborate with state and local resources to leverage and maximize the collective
support of the communities surrounding the campuses. Campuses often source food from local food banks
and community-based partners that recover food from the local community. Appendix VIII includes a full list of
community partners that support UC’s food and housing security efforts.
Impact of Food Security Funds
During this legislative reporting period, campuses have served 32,916 unique students across all food
assistance efforts (Figure 3). This mid-year total almost equals the reported annual total of 34,093 unique
students served in fiscal year 2019–20. As a result of the pandemic and the economic challenges that stem
from it, campuses will likely exceed last year’s annual total. This increase in students served and contacts made
is a direct reflection of the impact of COVID, the funds provided to the campuses to increase infrastructure,
and staffing, and campus ability to creatively support students.
Figure 3: Total number of students using food services from July 1–
December 31, 2020, by campus
Campus
Unique students served*
Student contacts**
UC Berkeley
2,598
14,646
UC Davis
3,787
47,670
UC Irvine
1,939
9,212
UC Los Angeles
3,405
5,745
UC Merced
469
3,861
UC Riverside
1,862
6,503
UC San Diego
3,092
18,510
UC San Francisco
1,126
6,455
UC Santa Barbara
13,690
67,767
UC Santa Cruz
948
12,134
TOTAL
32,916
192,503
* The number of unique (unduplicated) students served is calculated by gathering the number of individual student
identification card “swipes” registered at all basic needs services. The swipes amount to the total number of individual
students served by state-funded basic needs programs.
** Student contacts represent the total number of student identification card “swipes” or the total number of ti mes
students were s erved by state-funded basic needs programs.
Housing Support
Housing support is vital to student success and can have a tremendous impact on a student’s social, emotional,
and academic well-being. All UC campuses offer emergency housing and assistance with securing long-term
housing to students facing housing insecurity. During the pandemic, students with housing insecurity and who
were struggling to secure safe and stable housing were prioritized for on-campus housing across the UC
system. These efforts included partnerships with on-campus housing, distribution of housing vouchers,
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financial assistance and emergency case management. Students living on campus were subject to regular
COVID-19 testing and required to abide both by local county health guidelines and by campus-specific policies.
Campuses have continued to support students who reside on campus during COVID-19 through operating
residence halls with social-distancing practices and supervision. To assist students not living on campus, basic
needs staff continue to employ rapid rehousing practices through virtually conducted case management. They
also hold online workshops and trainings about how students can navigate rental contracts and agreements in
the face of COVID-19, if living on campus is not an option. Some new housing efforts include:
Housing Assistance
• Launched the Basic Needs Holistic Fund to provide students with financial awards for food assistance,
rental assistance, and housing security deposits
• Secured Airbnb housing vouchers to assist students with temporary housing off campus
Education and Outreach
• Provided outreach to students early in the pandemic to connect students to on-campus housing
• Provided virtual case management support and virtual workshops to assist students with navigating
rental challenges due to the pandemic
Operational
• Developed protocols to support students with immediate campus housing and case management
support to transition them into permanent housing
• Secured additional campus housing units in collaboration with Student Housing
Appendix VII includes a list of campuses that offer or plan to offer emergency housing or assistance with long-
term housing arrangements.
Impact of Housing Security Funds
Campuses served approximately 2,516 housing-insecure students across the University of California system
from July 1–December 31, 2020. This is a 17 percent increase from the previously reported 2,150 total unique
students served in fiscal year 2019–20. Figure 4 provides a breakdown by campus of total unique students
served and total student contacts made for housing-insecure students. Generally, campuses defined the
number of students served as those who received any of the following:
• emergency housing
• temporary housing
• hotel vouchers
• rent and deposit assistance
• placements in short- and long-term housing
• case management that connected them to wrap-around services
Many of these students had found themselves unable to pay rent for their previous housing due to unexpected
circumstances, such as job loss or unexpected medical bills.
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Figure 4: Total number of students using housing services during July 1–
December 31, 2020.
Campus
Unique students served*
Student contacts**
Berkeley
562
562
Davis
476
9,486
Irvine
384
387
Los Angeles
7
7
Merced***
-
-
Riverside
193
203
San Diego
365
1,312
San Francisco
14
14
Santa Barbara
237
446
Santa Cruz
278
294
TOTAL
2,516
12,711
* The number of unique (unduplicated) students served is calculated by gathering the number of individual student
identification card “swipes” registered at all basic needs services. The swipes amount to the total number of individual
students served by State-funded basic needs programs.
** Student contacts represent the total number of student identification card “swipes,” or the total number of times
students were served by s tate-funded basic needs programs.
*** UC Merced was not permitted to house students on campus due to COVID-19. They have recei ved permi s s i on to offer
emergency housing on campus in 2021, which is funded by $3.5 million rapid rehousing funds, and reported separately.
Overall Insights and Updates
Across the UC system, campuses have prioritized students' basic needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In
November 2020, the UC Regents Special Committee on Basic Needs issued their report on basic needs, which
outlines a five-year plan for helping students meet their basic needs.
3
Through the implementation of their
recommendations, the plan includes aspirational goals to reach by 2025. The goals to be reached by June 2025
are as follows:
1. Reduce the proportion of undergraduate students reported to have experienced food insecurity in the
past 12 months by 50 precent (from 44 percent to 22 percent, based on 2016 UC Undergraduate
Experience Survey [UCUES] data).
2. Reduce the proportion of graduate students reported to have experienced food insecurity in the last
12 months by 50 percent (from 26 percent to 13 percent, based on 2016 Graduate Well-Being Survey
[GWBS] data).
3. Reduce the proportion of undergraduate students who have experienced housing insecurity by 50
percent (from 16 percent to 8 percent, according to 2020 UCUES data).
4. Reduce the proportion of graduate students who have experienced homelessness by 50 percent (from
5 percent to 2.5 percent, based on 2016 GWBS data.)
The Special Committee also recommended that the definition of basic needs go beyond just food and housing.
The report put forth a new University definition of student basic needs, as follows:
3
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/nov20/s1attach.pdf
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Basic needs is an ecosystem that supports financial stability by ensuring equitable access to: nutritious
and sufficient food; safe, secure, and adequate housing (to sleep, study, cook, and shower); healthcare
and mental healthcare; affordable transportation; resources for personal hygiene care; and emergency
needs for students with dependents. This list of comprehensive needs represents the minimum
resources necessary to holistically support students in their daily lives.
UC recognizes that while our basic needs efforts have been successful, these safety net programs cannot be
the only solution to solving students' basic needs issues. It is integral that we look holistically at the systemic
barriers in higher education at the state and federal level to ensure that student services, including financial
aid, are available to support student success. For example, the University of California Student Association
(UCSA) has embarked on an effort to “double the Pell,” which will increase federal investment in the Pell
Grant. Students continue to lack adequate food and housing security, as well as access to child care,
technology and other resources that make pursuing higher education possible. With increased federal
investment in the Pell Grant, many of these needs can be met by a students’ financial aid package. This would
allow for sustainability within basic needs services and ultimately reduce basic needs insecurity among UC
students.
Appendix IX includes other insights and lessons learned by campuses.
Systemwide Coordination
The University’s systemwide basic needs efforts have long benefited from strong centralized coordination. In
September 2020, a systemwide Director of Student Mental Health and Well-Being was hired by UCOP. The
director joins the systemwide basic needs campus co-chairs to provide technical assistance, ongoing support
and system-level strategy to support student basic needs. Their work is supported by a public health
researcher who provides systemwide basic needs research and evaluation. Together, this team is co-
developing new tools and resources such as a systemwide mobile application for basic needs resources and a
student services online dashboard. They also offer professional development webinars to advance UC’s best
practices locally and nationally. For example, as a direct result of the systemwide collaboration and efforts, a
need was identified to ensure that students who are attending the UC Washington, DC Center (UCDC) program
also receive access to basic needs services and supports. Consequently, UCDC received funds from UCOP to
establish their basic needs efforts.
University of California Washington, DC Center (UCDC)
A hallmark of UC undergraduate education is the option to study, live, and work in the nation’s capital for one
quarter through the UCDC program. As campuses worked to address the basic needs of their students who
resided locally, it became apparent that students studying for one quarter in Washington, DC were plagued
with the same challenges of affordable food, and access to case management and other resources. To address
this need, UCDC formed an internal committee to establish basic needs services for UCDC students. Some
notable milestones for the committee thus far are:
• Launching the UCDC food pantry with $50,000 in startup funding from UCOP
• Creating a basic needs advisory board as an avenue for alumni to provide input for the development
and implementation of the UCDC Basic Needs Program
• Developing a training session for UCDC staff regarding the evolution of UC basic needs initiatives
• Integrating UCDC staff into the “UC Basic Needs” Village and the following pods: Directors, Financial
Aid, and Pantry & Distribution
• Developing remote program initiatives for students participating in the UCDC Remote Experience
Program (UCDC REP)
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California Higher Education Basic Needs Alliance (CHEBNA)
In February 2020, CHEBNA hosted an intersegmental gathering that brought together over 700 leaders from
across the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU) and University of California to
explore the efforts of advancing basic needs security in order to promote student success on individual,
communal, and institutional levels. The three segments of higher education in California remain committed to
collaborating to address student success and well-being in a number of ways, including their access to financial
aid, healthy food, safe housing, and health and mental support. As part of this support, CHEBNA will be
offering a series of virtual events during the month of March 2021, inviting leaders from across California and
the Nation to continue learning about the emerging needs and expanded definition of basic needs. The
program will close with an intersegmental panel featuring President Michael V. Drake (UC), Chancellor Eloy
Ortiz Oakley (CCC) and Chancellor Joseph I. Castro (CSU) to discuss basic needs in higher education.
Conclusion
The Budget Act of 2019 (Assembly Bill 74) has allowed campuses to be responsive to student basic need
challenges amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. Campuses have creatively offered virtual and in-person
programs and services to seamlessly support students in crisis, while funds have successfully assisted students
in enrolling for CalFresh, accessing essential food support, and receiving housing both on and off campus. The
funds will continue to be used to address student basic needs insecurity at the University of California. This
support is critical as the system continues to grow student safety net programs and help current and future
students respond to the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. We seek to further explore the
expanded definition of basic needs as outlined by the UC Regents, and to continue to develop innovative
services as a strategy for student success. UC is committed to advancing the work of basic needs for the State
of California, including working collaboratively and collectively with the other higher education segments and
statewide systems and programs for a healthy California.
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Appendix I
Text from the Budget Act of 2019
From Senate Bill 106, Chapter 55, Statutes of 2019, including the following subsections of provision 5.2 of the
University’s appropriation:
“5.2
(a) Of the funds appropriated in this item, $15,000,000 shall be available to support meal donation
programs, food pantries serving students, CalFresh enrollment and other means of directly
providing nutrition assistance to students. The funds shall be used assist homeless and housing-
insecure students in securing stable housing.
(b) The University of California shall report to the Department of Finance and relevant policy and fiscal
committees of the Legislature by March 1, 2020, and each year thereafter regarding the use of
funds specified in this provision. The report shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of
the following information:
(1) The amount of funds distributed to the campuses, and identification of which campuses
received funds.
(2) For each campus, a programmatic budget summarizing how the funds were spent. The
budget shall include any other funding used to supplement the General Fund.
(3) A description of the types of programs in which each campus invested.
(4) A list of campuses that accept or plan to accept electronic benefit transfer.
(5) A list of campuses that participate or plan to participate in the CalFresh Restaurant Meals
Program.
(6) A list of campuses that offer or plan to offer emergency housing or assistance with long-
term housing arrangements.
(7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local
resources to address housing and food insecurity.
(8) An analysis describing how funds reduced food insecurity and homelessness among
students, and, if feasible, how funds impacted student outcomes such as persistence or
completion.
(9) Other findings and best practices implemented by campuses.”
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Appendix II
5.2 (b) (1) The amount of funds distributed to the campuses, and identification of which campuses
received funds.
Basic Needs Budgets by Campus, Fiscal Year 2020–21
Campus
Base
Allocations
Allocations based on
estimated number of food
and housing-insecure
students
Innovation
Grant
Allocations
Total
Berkeley
$500,000
$896,000
$320,000
$1,560,000
Davis
$500,000
$977,000
$348,000
$1,650,500
Irvine
$500,000
$945,000
$337,000
$1,614,700
Los Angeles
$500,000
$850,000
$304,000
$1,908,600
Merced
$500,000
$291,000
$104,000
$883,909
Riverside
$500,000
$740,000
$264,000
$1,724,116
San Diego
$500,000
$903,000
$323,000
$1,748,300
San Francisco
$500,000
$49,000
$18,000
$613,500
Santa Barbara
$500,000
$762,000
$272,000
$1,410,200
Santa Cruz
$500,000
$587,000
$210,000
$1,386,175
UCOP* (Systemwide Coordination)
$500,000
TOTALS
$5,000,000
$7,000,000
$2,500,000
$15,000,000
*$50,000 of the UCOP systemwide coordination dollars was used to assist UCDC with establishing their Basic
Needs Center.
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Appendix III
5.2 (b) (2) For each campus, a programmatic budget summarizing how the funds were spent. The budget shall include any other funding used
to supplement the General Fund.
Summary of Campus Programmatic Budgets (including the $2.5 million allocated toward innovation grants and the $500,000 allocated to UCOP
for systemwide coordination and evaluation)
Funding Categories Berkeley Davis Irvine
Los
Angeles
Merced Riverside
Santa
Barbara
Santa Cruz San Diego
San
Francisco
Totals
Basic Needs Center $58,959 $60,500 $126,412 $150,000 $96,389 $35,000 $39,760 $81,890 $59,000 $63,750 $771,660
Pre-College
Outreach and
Preparation
$80,000 $13,000 $30,000 $30,000 $23,000 $18,000 $19,937 $0 $77,500 $13,750 $305,187
1st-Year Student
Experience
$31,319 $28,600 $3,000 $160,000 $20,000 $18,000 $13,880 $30,000 $3,000 $5,300 $313,099
Housing Services
and Support
$0 $582,800 $0
$0
$0 $582,800
Direct Student
Awards
$440,973 $145,000 $358,167 $345,000 $233,972 $234,000 $313,418 $106,379
$111,200 $2,288,109
CalFresh $41,256 $26,274 $7,000 $65,000 $263 $10,000 $15,907 $0 $42,600 $4,000 $212,300
Basic Needs Skills
Development
$54,228 $130,894 $10,500 $12,000 $6,744 $100,000 $16,125
$150,650 $41,500 $522,641
Emergency
Relief/Crisis
Resolution
$106,000 $93,080 $340,000 $223,000 $52,283 $0 $332,783 $35,500 $632,000 $3,500 $1,818,146
Career Staff
Coordination (FTE)
$375,105 $273,052 $425,121 $276,000 $275,991 $595,000 $276,160 $552,141 $335,250 $284,000 $3,667,820
Student Staff
Coordination
$207,160 $93,400 $124,800 $66,000 $79,958 $160,000 $195,304 $185,240 $70,000 $17,000 $1,198,862
Evaluation and
Reporting
$1,000 $30,400 $20,000 $23,000 $2,400 $70,000 $38,725 $95,850 $33,000 $5,000 $319,375
Innovation Grant $320,000 $348,000 $337,000 $304,000 $104,000 $264,000 $272,000 $210,000 $323,000 $18,000 $2,500,000
UCOP*
(Systemwide
Coordination)
$500,000
Totals $1,716,000
$1,825,000
$1,782,000
$1,654,000
$895,000
$1,504,000
$1,533,999
$1,297,000
$1,726,000
$567,000
$15,000,000
*$50,000 of the UCOP systemwide coordination dollars was used to assist UCDC with establishing their Basic Needs Center.
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Appendix IV
5.2 (b) (3) A description of the types of programs in which each campus invested
This table includes only new efforts since June 2020:
UC Campus
Program Descriptions
Berkeley
Food Assistance
• Adapted to the pandemic by creating pop-up food pantries in the community
through the implementation of additional food pick-up site s
• Provided limited food delivery services for immunocompromised students and
students who were experiencing challenges with accessing the campus’ central and
pop-up pantries
Other Support
• Launched the Basic Needs Holistic Fund to provide students with the following
financial awards: food assistance, rental assistance, and housing security deposits
Davis
Food Assistance
• Implemented a Grocery Bag Pick-Up program that provided almost 200 students per
week with groceries and toiletries while ASUCD Pantry’s brick-and-mortar facility
was closed due to COVID-19
• Expanded the grocery gift card program in order to reach students studying
remotely and to cut down on foot traffic at the Grocery Bag Pick-Up program
• Launched a CalFresh equivalent program for undocumented students who use the
grocery gift cards
• Held CalFresh informational clinics via Zoom due to COVID-19
Other Support
• Implemented a WiFi hotspot program for UC Davis students studying remotely
during COVID-19 who need internet, but do not have the means to pay for it
• Provided free menstrual and hygiene products and other toiletries via the Basic
Needs Center
Irvine
Food Assistance
• Implemented the Farm-to-FRESH produce voucher program, a food resource for
FRESH pantry users through which pantry visitors can receive $30-dollar vouchers on
a monthly basis. These monthly vouchers provide access to the Tanaka Farms Drive-
Through Produce Market Stand. Student parents are eligible to receive additional
vouchers to support the nutritional needs of their children.
• Continued to implement the FRESH Food Assistance Program (FAP), in which eligible
students are granted an award in the amount of $582 per quarter, known as the FAP
Award. The goal of this program is to address food insecurity among domestic
students who do not have access to federal benefits such as CalFresh/SNAP or
federal loans.
Housing Support
• Secured three campus housing units in collaboration with Student Housing and the
FRESH Hub to support students experiencing displacement, housing insecurity
and/or homelessness; developed a protocol to support students with immediate
campus housing and case management support to transition into permanent
housing
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (3) A description of the types of programs in which each campus invested
This table includes only new efforts since June 2020:
UC Campus
Program Descriptions
• Implemented the Off-Campus Rental Assistance Grant: A one-time grant intended to
alleviate financial pressure to students who are currently paying for off-campus
housing in the greater Orange County area. This grant aims to support housing
security and help students stay in their current off-campus rental unit. Students may
request up to $2,000 in grant support to pay for off-campus housing.
Los Angeles
Food Assistance
• Developed new/adapted State-funded basic needs programs, such as the
Community Programs Office (CPO) Online Food Closet’s Food Gift Card Program.*
Prior to COVID-19, the campus’ in-person basic needs services consisted of the CPO
Food Closet, CPO Grocery Bundle Program, New Student/Transfer Admit Food
Justice Luncheons, Food Justice Events, 580 Cafe, Teaching Kitchen, ECRT Meal
Voucher Program, and more. However, due to the remote-learning environment,
leftover funds were transferred to develop the CPO Online Food Gift Card Program
and to support the ECRT Basic Needs Grants, Housing Grants, etc.
*A portion of the gift card data was taken from the CPO’s Summer Food Gift Card Program;
acquisition of gift cards occurred before the FY2020 closure.
Other Support
• Additional, non-State-funded basic needs efforts that were created during this time
include: the CPO Basic Needs Resource Guide, undergraduate and graduate student
government basic needs subsidy and/or grant programs, University Religious
Conference grants, tech fund grants, laptop lending programs, etc.
Merced
Food Assistance
• Provided three-day supplies of ready-to-eat meal kits to students undergoing COVID-
19 testing and quarantine. Students learned about the meal kits via flyers displayed
in Health Center testing rooms.
• Provided grocery gift card support to all undergraduate and graduate students who
test positive for COVID-19 and request food assistance
• Established a Pop-Up People’s Pantry and People Fridge initiatives through the
Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program. The initiatives serve
UC Merced and Merced Community College students, as well as the broader Merced
County community. Six UC Merced students support the programs, with four in
student staff positions and two as fellows through the Global Food Initiative.
Housing Support
• Established an on-campus isolation and quarantine room support that provides
students with bottled water, snacks and hygiene care kits
Other Support
• Delivered financial wellness information to students via digital content, interactive
workshops, classroom engagement, special campus events and personalized
financial coaching sessions through the Financial Wellness Center
Riverside
Food Assistance
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (3) A description of the types of programs in which each campus invested
This table includes only new efforts since June 2020:
UC Campus
Program Descriptions
• Established a Short-Term Grocery Support program to supplement food support
from the R'Pantry. Students can access gift cards to local grocery stores twice per
month via distributions through on-campus, no-contact lock boxes and e-gift cards.
• Created a supplemental meal program for students in quarantine who identify as
food insecure. Students complete a form to request grocery e-gift cards, dining hall
meal swipes or delivery of food from the R'Pantry during their time in quarantine.
• Delivered specialized R'Pantry grocery bags to parenting students
• Opened and operated a centrally located student kitchen/basic needs hub that
provides students with a space to heat/prepare food, sign up for CalFresh benefits
and wash/dry clothes. It also serves as a central location for food recovery/
redistribution efforts.
San Diego
Food Assistance
• Opened a second pantry site at the Graduate and Family Housing complex on
campus in response to students who faced challenges accessing the Triton Food
Pantry due to COVID-19
• Established an Emergency Meal Assistance Program food delivery project in
collaboration with DoorDash, United Way and 211 San Diego. The program provides
assistance to students facing challenges affording meals while in COVID-19
quarantine housing.
• Adapted ongoing programs to new virtual access to maintain continuity of services,
including the CalFresh program, which integrated an interactive chat feature in UC
San Diego’s basic needs website where students can engage with CalFresh Outreach
Assistants
• Provided basic needs awareness information to engage students with the Basic
Needs and Off-Campus Life Peer Education program
• Produced an inventory of grocery stores to keep students informed of regional
access to nutritious food
• Launched a COVID-19 Special Relief Fund at the onset of the pandemic to connect
basic needs insecure students to emergency grants during summer and fall
• Assisted students with CalFresh application and scheduling of food-assistance
services
Housing Support
• Launched a COVID-19 Special Relief Fund at the onset of the pandemic to provide
emergency grants to housing insecure students during summer session and fall
quarter
San
Francisco
Food Assistance
• Expanded UCSF’s Emergency Food Awards program, which provides grocery gift
cards to students who are required to quarantine as a result of exposure to COVID-
19
• Expanded the campus’s Food Pantry Program by securing additional food, dry goods
bags and grocery gift cards from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
Housing Support
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (3) A description of the types of programs in which each campus invested
This table includes only new efforts since June 2020:
UC Campus
Program Descriptions
• Set aside emergency housing units for students who need an isolation unit due to
COVID-19
Santa
Barbara
Food Assistance
• Offered new pop-up grocery and produce distribution during COVID-19 related to
closure periods for campus pantry sites
• Launched a grocery delivery program to encourage students who feel sick or who
are at high risk for COVID-19. The program enables students to skip in-person visits
to the pantries or pantry pop-up events by providing free, contactless grocery
delivery to currently enrolled students who demonstrate financial need and are sick,
quarantined, immunocompromised and/or are over 60 years of age.
• Piloted a no-cook grocery bag program in September to assist students experiencing
housing insecurity. This program provides students with shelf-stable food that does
not require refrigeration or cooking, which allows students to navigate secure
housing while having more food security support.
• Transitioned co-curricular basic needs educational programs to virtual formats. The
Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills Program, managed by UC Santa Barbara Health and
Wellness, served 199 unique students.
• Offered gardening-on-a-budget workshops to 77 students through the Edible
Campus Program
Santa Cruz
Food Assistance
• Pivoted operations to account for hybrid instruction and students’ changing needs in
the time of COVID-19 by streamlining onsite locations for in-person services to two
sites, the Cowell Coffee Shop: For the Peoples (CCS) and Family Student Housing
(FSH). The CCS and pantry distributions combined to offer pre-prepared, local,
sustainable, culturally diverse, fresh and dry good offerings with an online
reservation and pick-up program to ensure safe and optimized services for all
students in need.
• Provided deliveries based on Disability Resource Center and Case Management
referrals
• Transitioned Slug Support case management to a fully online and remote service.
Services include a range of food, housing and crisis support that is coordinated and
delivered remotely to simplify how we are supporting students located both on and
near campus, as well as across the state and beyond.
University of California
Office of the President
Appendix V
5.2 (b) (4) A list of campuses that accept or plan to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)
Status of EBT Implementation at UC Campuses (as of June 2020)
UC Campus
Campus Locations Where EBT Is Accepted
Berkeley
Bear Market
Davis
All UC Davis Markets, including the UC Davis Farmers Market
Irvine
Campus dining services are contracted to Aramark, whose POS system is not compatible with
EBT at this time.
Los Angeles
Efforts to obtain EBT are underway.
Merced
Out of Our Own Back Yard, Produce on the Go, and Summits Marketplace (since September
2018)
Riverside
Hub Scotty’s Convenience Store and Market at Glenmore
San Diego
The Village Market, Goody’s Market, Roger’s Market, Earl’s Market, and The Canyon Vista
Market Place. EBT is now being established at Sunshine Market.
San Francisco
Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association and Subway
Santa Barbara
The Arbor
Santa Cruz
Kresge Food Coop, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Farm Stand and the
weekly pop-up mobile produce market
University of California
Office of the President
Appendix VI
5.2. (b) (5) A list of campuses that participate or
plan to participate in the CalFresh Restaurant
Meals Program
Campus
Participates
in CalFresh
RMP
Plans to
participate
in CalFresh
RMP
Not
currently
offered by
County
Berkel ey
Davis
Irvine
Los Angel es
Merced
Riverside
San Di ego
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz
University of California
Office of the President
Appendix VII
5.2 (b) (6) A list of campuses that offer or plan to offer emergency housing or assistance with long-term
housing arrangements
Campus
Emergency
Campus
Housing
Emergency
Off-
Campus
Housing
Emergency
Rental
Assistance
Hotel
Vouchers
Housing
Security
Deposit
Assistance
Disaster
Relief
Fund
Housing
Case
Managers
Skills
Development
Berkel ey
Davis
Irvine
Los Angel es
Merced
Riverside
San Di ego
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz
University of California
Office of the President
Appendix VIII
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
Berkeley
Food Security Partnerships
• Initiated a partnership with the Berkeley Food Network, a city food-distribution
hub, in order to increase available produce in the campus’ food pantry and
strengthen relationships with local emergency food resources to provide an
alternative for students when the pantry is closed.
• Formed a partnership with 211 and DoorDash to increase the campus’ capacity to
provide food delivery services to students.
• Provided mentorship to the Berkeley Tech Academy’s food pantry internship
program.
• Maintained previously established partnerships with the following entities:
o Alameda County Community Food Bank
o Berkeley Farmers Market
o Monterey Market
o Daily Bread
o UC Gill Tract Community Farm
o Phat Beats Produce
o Local residents, farms, and gardens that participate in our food gleaning
program
Housing Security Partnerships
• Formed a partnership with the Berkeley Outreach Coalition, a collaborative group
of nonprofit organizations established to support food and housing insecure
residents of Berkeley.
• Provided drop-in housing counseling assistance, in partnership between the Basic
Needs Center on campus and the Berkeley Rent Board, including on tenants’ rights.
Also provided information and counseling to landlords and tenants in the City of
Berkeley.
• Made available short-term emergency housing to UC Berkeley students who are
homeless or at imminent risk of losing housing through Brill Independent Living.
The model includes full access to a three-bedroom house in Berkeley, which has
the capacity to house up to seven students at any given time.
Davis
Food Security Partnerships
• Continued to partner with Tandem Organic Farm, which provides fresh, free,
organic produce to students on a weekly basis via the campus’ Fruit & Veggie Up!
Program.
• Entered into a partnership with Nugget Stores and SaveMart to provide free
produce to students as part of the food recovery mission of the Fruit & Veggie Up!
Program.
• Maintained a partnership with Yolo County Department of Social Services, which
enables a county CalFresh specialist to have a full-time desk in the Basic Needs
Center to provide CalFresh application assistance to students and engage them in
county CalFresh interviews.
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
• Collaborated with the Yolo County Food Bank, which enabled the ASUCD Pantry
and the Basic Needs Center to purchase food through them for $.19/lb., as well as
receive free produce.
• Partnered with PERIOD to make available free menstrual products at the ASUCD
Pantry and Basic Needs Center.
• Joined forces with Sunlight Foods distribute food boxes to 150 students in the fall.
• Received a $3,000 donation from Peet’s Coffee to fund basic needs grants for
students.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Signed a contract with Lutheran Social Services (LSS) to deliver an on-campus Rapid
Rehousing Program. LSS manages the program and provides case management.
• Entered into a contract with Tandem Properties to provide housing units for the
Rapid Rehousing Program that launched in September 2020.
• Maintained a partnership with the City of Davis to collaborate on homeless student
support, strategy, surveying, and reporting.
Irvine
Food Security Partnerships
• Partnered with the Orange County Social Services Agency (OCSSA) in November
2020 on the campus’ CalFresh efforts. This partnership allows UCI to work directly
with the county, as opposed to indirectly under the Second Harvest Food Bank’s
CalFresh contract. This new model allows the campus to have direct
communication and a point of contact at OCSSA for all of CalFresh-related
questions.
• Established a new program and partnership with UC Agricultural and Natural
Resources to care and maintain a 2,000 square foot veggie row crop to grow food
for the campus pantry. FRESH student staff work at the farm to learn proper
gleaning and pruning techniques to achieve rich harvests, and how to salvage
produce that otherwise would have gone to waste. Students harvest produce from
the farm on a weekly basis and transport it back to campus to make it available to
the campus’ pantry clients through weekly outdoor pantry distributions. This
valuable experience not only educates staff on food production and food waste,
but also provides greater produce variety for UCI students experiencing food
insecurity.
• The next phase of this collaboration includes establishing a University Affairs
elective course to expose students to local agricultural practices and skills.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Launched an Orange County Colleges Project in collaboration with StandUp for
Kids, a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of youth
homelessness.
• Secured funding from the City of Irvine to provide rapid rehousing services to
homeless youth. They are able to provide emergency, bridge, and graduated
financial housing support (6-month subsidized housing). UC Irvine’s social worker
team is working closely with this organization to refer UCI students when campus
housing is not an option.
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
• Participated in United Way of OC's Homelessness Prevention Program. Students
and families who were at risk of homelessness and were recently impacted with
loss of income due to Covid-19 (i.e., reduced hours or loss of work), and resided in
Orange County, received a $500 Bank of America card.
• Maintained UCI’s relationship with the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander
Community Alliance (OCAPICA), which manages Project FOCUS (For Our Children’s
Ultimate Success), a full-service wrap-around program that provides case
management, counseling, and other supportive services that ensure young people
can remain in their homes and communities.
Los Angeles
Food Security Partnerships
• Established and maintaining formal partnerships with Ralph’s/Food4Le ss, SoCal
Helpful Honda, and Gorilla Marketing to assist with food distribution efforts
• Exploring partnerships with Cheesecake Factory, Sweet Green, and more
restaurants to provide hot-to-go meals
• Expanding relationship between the CalFresh Initiative at UCLA, CSU Chico State
Subcontractor, and Department of Public Social Services to apply for exemptions
for graduate student programs and increase graduate student eligibility. Through
this partnership, we have been able to streamline the application draft process in
order to increase chances of DPSS approval
• Maintaining partnership between UCLA CPO, Residential Life, and Housing to
develop a meal program for students with dependents to be submitted for
consideration through the USDA grants process. The meal program will offer lunch
and dinner to 400-500 dependents living at the University Village South
Community Center
• Maintained previously established partnerships with the following entities:
o Bruins of the South Bay
o Café 580
o Sprouts Westwood
o Sprouts Culver City
o Target Sawtelle
o Westside Food Bank
o Whole Foods Brentwood
o Other periodical individual donors
Housing Security Partnerships
• Establishing a partnership with the Los Angeles County Supervisor, District 3, Sheila
Kuehl to discuss opportunities to assist/increase student eligibility for section 8
housing
• Continued to explore opportunities to collaborate with United Way in their
Emergency and Shelter Program.
Other Support
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
• Working collaboratively with Semel Healthy Campus Initiative to submit grants for
additional CARES Act funds
Merced
Food Security Partnerships
• Food Distribution
o Formed a partnership with Farm Fresh to You, a Community Support
Agriculture program that provides seasonal 100 % certified-organic, pre-
packaged produce boxes to students. Each box includes produce from local
farms along with recipes and quick tips on items in each box. Farm Fresh to
You also provides grocery gift cards to food insecure students who are
studying remotely.
o Worked with Daylight Foods to provide same-day delivery of USDA Farmers
to Families Program food boxes to food insecure students. The boxes
include items such as eggs, cheese, milk, and chicken.
o Established a Pop-Up People’s Pantry off-campus in April 2020. This effort
includes partnerships with 58 separate donors (i.e., individuals, local
businesses, and nonprofit organizations) who donate 184 pounds of
rescued food per week to the pantry. The pantry serves an average of 37
people per week, including UC Merced and Merced Community college
students.
o Established the People’s Fridge in partnership with the Merced County
Public Health Department, Freedge.org, Bobcat Eats Food Waste
Awareness and Prevention Program, and Food Connect. These
organizations help keep the fridge stocked with an average of 103 pounds
of produce per week.
o Transitioned the Bobcat Pantry’s food distribution efforts to a contactless
“drive-through” model in campus parking lots, in response to public health
restrictions due to COVID-19.
• CalFresh
o Transitioned CalFresh outreach efforts, information, sessions, application
assistance, and pre-screening to virtual support via Zoom in order to
adhere to public health guidelines.
o Maintained a partnership with the Merced County Human Service Agency,
which provided critical support in generating CalFresh application status
reports. This provides the campus with an understanding of key reasons for
denial of student applicants for fall 2020, as well as with insight for how to
improve operations for the spring 2021 semester.
o Created a UC Merced GetCalFresh URL in fall 2020 through a partnership
with Code for America. The program has a 54% approval rate for all
submitted applications.
•
Outreach and Awareness
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
o Engaged in a food and resource awareness campaign via
@FoodConnect2020 on Facebook and Twitter. The campaign reached UC
Merced and Merced Community College students, as well as the broader
community in the City of Merced.
o Formed a partnership with No Food Left Behind, which sends text alerts to
UC Merced students, staff, and faculty about county food resources and
services during the COVID-19 stay at home orders. About 87% of the 1,082
individuals currently signed up for the service are undergraduate and
graduate students. Enrollees received an average of five texts per week
between July and December 2020.
o Engaged in regular communication with CalFresh Outreach teams at other
institutions (i.e., California State University Chico, Sacramento State, Cal
Poly, and UC sister campuses) to share best practices around social media
outreach and stay informed of ongoing federal and state policy updates.
o Partnered with the Merced County Public Health Department to provide
COVID-19 guidelines/education and masks to UC Merced and Merced
Community College students through the USDA Food Distribution program
and Bobcat Pantry.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Continued to engage in active discussions with the Merced County Community
Action Agency (MCCAA) on ways to collaborate on future rapid rehousing
initiatives. One goal is a joint purchase of a residential property that can provide
temporary housing accommodations for at least 16 students enrolled at UC
Merced and the local community college. Student accommodations would include
a bed, communal bathrooms, and a kitchen. Wrap-around services provided by
both UC Merced and MCCAA will include referrals to campus and community
resources, employment opportunities, and grab-and-go meals for breakfast and
dinner. Research on the location of an appropriate property is ongoing.
Riverside
Food Security Partnerships
• Secured two COVID-19 relief grants from the United Way Inland Valley and
Growing Inland Achievement. UC Riverside used these funds to provide student
with direct food support.
• Maintained a partnership with the Feeding America Inland Empire Food Bank.
• Continued to collaborate with the Riverside County Department of Public Social
Services for CalFresh application support.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Continue partnership with TruEvolution, a nonprofit organization in Riverside that
provides short-term and long-term housing planning, budgeting, and rental search
and application assistance.
• Conducted a series of educational housing presentations aimed at helping low-
income individuals, persons with disabilities, and first-generation college students
navigate the rental landscape for the first time, in collaboration between the Fair
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
Housing Council of Riverside County and UCR’s The Well and the TRIO Scholars
Program.
San Diego
Food Security Partnerships
• Opened a second pantry site at the Graduate and Family Housing complex on
campus.
• Established a food delivery project in collaboration with DoorDash, United Way,
and 211 San Diego. These efforts enabled students who had challenges visiting the
Triton Food Pantry during COVID-19 shelter-in-place provisions to maintain access
to nutritious food.
• Partnered with Berry Good Foods for specific emergency food access projects.
• Maintained a partnership between UCSD’s CalFresh program and the County of San
Diego Health & Human Services Agency - Eligibility Operations, which provides a
Human Services Specialist for direct CalFresh case management support.
• Continued to participate in the Food Recovery Network (FRN), which works
through San Diego Food Bank’s Fresh Rescue Program to recover food from Vons
grocery stores. FRN also partners with local food recovery-based nonprofit
organization Produce Good to recover food from a regional farmer’s market.
• Continued to partner with the National League of Cities’ initiative “Addressing the
Basic Needs of Postsecondary Students,'' as part of a San Diego regional effort
alongside the City of San Diego, City of Chula Vista, and Mesa College workforce
development group that provides capacity building support for addressing the
basic needs of postsecondary students.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Continued to participate in the San Diego Youth Homelessness Consortium
(SDYHC), is a collaborative entity designed to increase the effectiveness of the
service delivery system in San Diego County for youth experiencing or at risk of
experiencing homelessness.
• Maintained a partnership with San Diego Youth Services in order to provide
community-based rapid rehousing with wrap-around case management services,
including assistance with off-campus housing, rent subsidies, and financial and
basic needs support to UC San Diego students.
• Maintained partnership with 211 San Diego to assist individuals who fall outside of
the transitional aged youth range with accessing the Coordinated Entry System for
local shelter support. This network of care helps individuals and families resolve
their housing crises through the provision of access to valuable resources in an
equitable, person-centered, and transparent manner.
San Francisco
Food Security Partnerships
• Partnered with the San Francisco/Marin Food Bank and the City and County of San
Francisco’s Human Services Agency to assist students who struggle with getting
their CalFresh applications approved. This partnership is the primary provider to
the Student Food Market.
Housing Security Partnerships
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
• Continued to collaborate with the San Francisco Department on Homelessness and
Supporting Housing. UCSF is hoping to connect with one of the 11 community
organizations they work with that provide placement services for students in need
of immediate and permanent housing.
Santa Barbara
Food Security Partnerships
• Sourced food from the Santa Barbara County Food Bank for the campus’ pantries.
• Worked closely with the Santa Barbara Department of Social Services to coordinate
CalFresh services.
• Participated in the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network to connect, align,
and activate a network of food system change-makers throughout Santa Barbara
County.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Enhanced the campus’ partnership with Santa Barbara County (SBC) and United
Way of Santa Barbara to support housing insecure students at UCSB.
• Participated in Santa Barbara County’s 100-Day Challenge to end and prevent
youth homelessness. UCSB served as a partner in this challenge to house 50 youth
countywide within 100 days. The challenge began in late June 2020 and ran
through September. During this period, UCSB placed 21 students in the campus’
transitional housing program, 95% of whom secured permanent housing at the
completion of the program. In addition, UCSB is working toward establishing an
MOU agreement with SBC, whereby UCSB serves as a partner agency in the HUD
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Once they are in HMIS,
students can access priority housing, supportive programs, and other housing
security benefits that become available.
• Continued to partner with the Isla Vista Coalition, coalition of organizations that
are working to support people experiencing houselessness in Isla Vista, the local
college town. Coalition partners include
o Isla Vista and Parks District
o Isla Vista Community Services District
o United Way
o Santa Barbara County
o Doctors Without Walls
o Food Not Bombs
o Associated Students Pardall Center
o Associated Students Isla Vista Tenants Association
o St. Michael’s University Church
• Maintained relationships with the UCSB Food Security and Basic Needs Taskforce,
which is comprised of organizations that have a tradition of helping populations
experiencing homelessness, including Santa Barbara Housing and Community
Development, and the Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County Continuum of Care, a
coordinated entry system for services in the County.
Santa Cruz
Food Security Partnerships
University of California
Office of the President
5.2 (b) (7) A description of how campuses leveraged or coordinated with other state or local resources to
address housing and food insecurity
UC Campus
Community Partnerships
• Partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB), which supplies the food pantries
on campus and assists students with CalFresh applications through remote online
appointments.
• Collaborated with New Leaf Community Markets, a local grocer that welcomes
UCSC staff to conduct food recovery, and allows the campus to offer students local,
organic, and specialty food items at no additional cost. New Leaf also made a one-
time donation in the form of gift cards this year, which the campus distributed to
students who were ineligible for CalFresh.
• Worked with the Santa Cruz Farmers Market Association to source supplemental
organic fresh produce from local farmers, which are then delivered weekly by
campus staff to student support sites at UCSC.
• Moved a print-based student food and basic needs guide to an online format that
shares resources across community organizations and partners, as well as campus
services.
• Enlisted colleagues at other UCs, and their regional partners to support UCSC
students who are living out of the county and around the state during hybrid
instruction this year, especially in regards to CalFresh.
• Worked with UC and CSU Basic Needs Centers to offer CalFresh application
assistance to UCSC students who are living outside of Santa Cruz County.
Housing Security Partnerships
• Established a partnership with Tenant Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization that
offers housing legal services to tenants. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic
forced to stop operations due to lack of funding. However, UC Santa Cruz is in the
process of developing its own housing legal services program and expects to have
this implemented by the 2021 spring quarter.
• Working to form a partnership with the Community Action Board’s Youth
Homelessness Response Team. They offer long-term case management, life skills
support and other assistance as needed to help youth keep up with their housing
responsibilities and prevent eviction. They also work with youth who are living in
the streets so that they can connect them to emergency shelters, safe space
parking programs and provide other essential needs.
• Continued to worked with three hotels in the area to secure temporary housing for
UCSC students in the Santa Cruz community.
University of California
Office of the President
Appendix IX
5.2. (b) (9) Other findings and best practices implemented by campuses
UC Campus
Best Practices and Insights
Berkeley
• This fall, the Basic Needs Center launched and facilitated the Economic Justice Team
(EJT), a cross-campus collaboration with campus partners who provide financial
assistance to students and who serve students who are disproportionately impacted
by food and housing insecurity. The goals of the EJT are to share pertinent updates for
emergency funds including consultation and best practices, coordination of these
funds and to ensure that all funds are data informed, equitable and accessible, as well
as to target and support students with the highest needs. This model was based on the
work that the basic needs team did in spring when UC Berkeley launched the COVID-19
Student Relief Fund in partnership with the Financial Aid Department. Staff found that
this collaborative structure has been pivotal in developing an equitable and accessible
awarding structure for students who are experiencing financial emergencies.
• In conjunction with the EJT, the Basic Needs Center launched the Basic Needs Holistic
Fund, which is a centralized application for all enrolled UC Berkeley students to apply
for emergency financial support in a single application. Undergraduate, graduate,
international and undocumented students are eligible to apply for rental and food
assistance, as well as a housing security deposit. Prior to the launch of the Holistic
Fund, students had to submit separate applications for different areas of awarding and
go through separate assessment processes. It was critical for the basic needs team to
lead an effort in coordinating complementary efforts, bringing together previously
siloed and fragmented processes that negatively impacted students. This effort was
incredibly successful and has since had campus partners provide funding to the Holistic
Fund rather than creating separate and non-coordinated application and fund
processes. In spring, the campus looks forward to adding additional areas of funding to
the Holistic Fund.
Davis
• Establishing and maintaining good, collaborative relationships on campus has proved
critical when it came to responding quickly to the emerging needs of students. They
have also enabled all stakeholders to be on board with new programs and be on the
same page with basic needs strategy and goals. Some key partnerships/relationships
have been:
o Financial Aid
o Office of Student Success and Judicial Affairs, case management
o Student Housing and Dining Services
o Student Affairs Development Centers
o EOP — Educational Opportunity Program (low-income)
o GSP — Guardian Scholar’s Program (foster and former foster youth)
o AB540/Undocumented Center
o Center for African Diaspora Student Success
• Having multiple points of entry for students who are struggling and establishing the
Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center as a place that on-campus partners/faculty/staff
can send struggling students are both critical approached for effective basic needs
interventions. Some faculty and staff have not been sure how to help students of
concern, and they welcome having the Basic Needs Center. They were very receptive
to the idea that they refer students regardless of their specific circumstance, and they
trust that the students will be taken care of.
University of California
Office of the President
5.2. (b) (9) Other findings and best practices implemented by campuses
UC Campus
Best Practices and Insights
• Top-down support for basic needs: UC Davis Chancellor Gary May was on the Regents
Special Sub-committee for Basic Needs and has been a champion of the initiative on
our campus. He and the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs have been key to starting
development projects and ensuring that the basic needs funding is directed properly.
Irvine
• Self-referral model for case management support: Since implementing a self-referral
process for students to connect with the basic needs campus social worker, UC Irvine
has seen an increase of students being supported and connected to critical resources,
such as the emergency grant and CalFresh.
• Streamlining the Economic Crisis Response Team’s emergency grant process: UC Irvine
implemented a pre-screening portion to the application process for the emergency
grant, which has allowed the campus to better triage each student situation and
identify if the student is actually eligible to receive emergency grants before
submitting an application. This has helped reduce the number of denied applications.
Additionally, students who are not eligible to receive the grant — whether because
they either have loans they can access or have no room left in their financial aid
package — receive referrals to the basic needs campus social worker or the financial
aid basic needs counselor for coaching and exploration of other options and resources.
Los Angeles
• During this time, UCLA’s campus has witnessed an increase in student and staff food
and housing insecurity. As a result, they have continued to re-assess intentional
collaborative partnerships in order to provide direct provision of services to our
campus community:
o Support for staff and faculty basic needs: Due to the remote-learning
environment, students, staff and faculty have disclosed job loss and/or wage
loss (either personally or from loved ones), which has impacted their basic
needs access. While state funds have been earmarked to support students, our
campus has worked with key campus partners to fundraise additional monies
to support staff during our food distributions.
o Reducing duplication of programs/intentional collaborations: During the spring
and summer, many campus partners — who did not historically engage in
basic needs efforts — were interested in developing basic needs-related
programs. In order to reduce duplication of services and increase
collaboration, the David Geffen School of Medicine, School of Public Health
and various Student Affairs Departments contributed funds to support the
CPO’s Food Gift Card Program to ensure that students received direct support.
These partnerships/contributions helped supplement UCLA’s initial state funds
and allowed them to serve more students.
o Identify existing resources, reassess their operations and rejuvenate them for
basic needs programming: One example of this is the University Village having
garden plots that have not been tended. After reassessing that the garden
plots can be rejuvenated, they will be used for growing vegetables to tackle
food insecurity, which reduces the campus’s need to create new programming
(including identifying space, creating staff positions and buying equipment)
and purchase new supplies. Instead, they have identified existing space and
existing staff support and are working to rejuvenate space to develop new
programming for our students.
University of California
Office of the President
5.2. (b) (9) Other findings and best practices implemented by campuses
UC Campus
Best Practices and Insights
Merced
• UC Merced supported outreach efforts with the launch of the UC Merced Success
Anywhere website and campus mobile app; both provide centralized student wellness
programs and information, including basic needs. The fall 2020 semester was also the
first year for basic needs information to be incorporated into the online orientation
module for all incoming freshmen and transfer students.
• Interdepartmental collaborations were critical in establishing a strong outreach
network to inform students of Basic Needs services. The best outreach efforts
continued to be personal referrals from fellow friends/peers, staff or faculty for
students utilizing basic needs services.
• Research and data-driven decision making continued to support organizational
planning: On-going evaluation efforts by Professor Elaine Denny on student awareness
of support services and how those services are impacting student success at UC
Merced continued, with survey tools evaluating COVID-19 impacts on their learning
and wellness.
• The pre-registration form for Bobcat Pantry resources allowed for improved inventory
management, communication reminders for students to complete the campus COVID-
19 Health Check-In process and incorporation of service evaluation questions to guide
operations.
• The Financial Wellness Center (FWC) conducted a listening tour to obtain qualitative
information based on student feedback/experiences in finances. Data collected guides
strategic planning and program development, creating a student-centered model. (48
undergraduate students participated in campus listening tour.)
• The Financial Aid and Dean of Students offices created interdepartmental collaborative
protocols for satisfactory academic progress petitions with financial reasons,
emergency grant case management and professional judgement workflow.
•
Hired a Bobcat financial coach peer mentor
Riverside
• Successfully implemented CDC and campus environmental health and safety guidelines
related to COVID-19, allowing UC Riverside to maintain food pantry distribution to
students
• Continued to maintain a strong social media presence
• Collaborated with campus departments to secure additional funding for expenses
otherwise not covered by state funding for basic needs
San Diego
• UC San Diego found that having already established automated systems and
partnerships both on/off campus has been integral to pivoting basic needs services
during the pandemic in a quick manner. It has been beneficial for the campus to
proactively identify students with outstanding housing balances in on-campus housing
or students referring in from off-campus housing, allowing staff to award basic needs
emergency grants as a way to prevent homelessness.
San Francisco
• Increasing lines of communication with Student Health has been critical in supporting
the basic needs of students exposed to COVID-19.
• Developing a back-up plan when campus distribution for the food pantry was low or
closed gave the neediest students stable access to food.
• CalFresh application rates have remained similar to that of previous years and
successful, despite the move to virtual CalFresh workshops and virtual drop-in hours,
University of California
Office of the President
5.2. (b) (9) Other findings and best practices implemented by campuses
UC Campus
Best Practices and Insights
largely because of pre-existing relationships with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
and San Francisco caseworkers.
Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Barbara focused on a holistic student care model as demonstrated through
the campus’ Financial Crisis Response Team (FCRT) and basic needs peer advisors.
FCRT established partnerships with 12 departments across the campus. Through these
partnerships, FCRT was able to secure expert advice from other campus service
providers on resources from every division of the campus.
• Seeing a student’s full set of circumstances was key in assessing their housing and food
needs, as well as the best support resources to address them. For example, if a student
is both housing insecure and has mental health needs, UC Santa Barbara ensures that
the housing placement recommended to them and/or the transition housing they are
placed in can accommodate those additional needs. Doing so ensures that the housing
placement is more likely to be stable and long term.
• Student needs vary from student to student, and a diverse toolkit of housing and food
support programming has been vital as a part of UC Santa Barbara’s ability to
intervene in a crisis and provide sustainable resources for students to meet their basic
needs. For example, UC Santa Barbara has two campus pantries, one located on the
main campus and one on the west campus. Providing two locations allows UC Santa
Barbara to better serve students where they live. Basic needs staff also offer grocery
delivery to students who cannot visit the pantries in person due to quarantine.
• Halal and kosher students who are food insecure received halal and kosher-certified
versions of what is offered at the campus pantry. UC Santa Barbara is committed to
ensuring that students can receive grocery assistance that fits their needs.
• The UC Santa Barbara Food Security and Basic Needs Taskforce, the campus’ basic
needs steering committee, engaged almost 300 staff, faculty and students across
campus to help students facing food and housing emergencies that jeopardize their
path to graduation. This team has been pivotal in the development and identification
of areas for growth in and improvement to basic needs resources available to
students. These partnerships have also brought in matching funds and opportunities
for joint fundraising. For example, in the above food pantry numbers, the campus did
not include the students served by Miramar Food Pantry, which is fully funded by UC
Santa Barbara Housing, Dining and Auxiliary Enterprises and served 323 unique
students, with 1,912 total visits between July and December 2020.
• UC Santa Barbara basic needs support is seen as a campus wide initiative. The
successful programming is attributed to these efforts not falling on a specific
department alone, but being considered a joint effort across the campus as a whole. In
this way, the campus is able to serve more students and provide more robust offerings
than would otherwise be possible.
Santa Cruz
• UC Santa Cruz was able to pivot quickly last spring to adapt to how the campus issues
grocery gift cards and hotel vouchers to students who were suddenly spread out
throughout California and beyond. With the help of various campus partners, UC Santa
Cruz was able to issue electronic gift cards and pay for emergency hotel stays outside
of Santa Cruz County. The campus also set up a lockbox outside of the Dean of
Students office where students could safely retrieve a physical gift card after an
assessment with a case manager via Zoom or on the phone. Additionally, for students
University of California
Office of the President
5.2. (b) (9) Other findings and best practices implemented by campuses
UC Campus
Best Practices and Insights
who were in quarantine, direct financial assistance, purchases from InstaCart and hotel
accommodations were arranged as needed.
• UC Santa Cruz’s Basic Needs Programs multi-division, collaborative approach helped to
facilitate the necessary changes that were made at the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic. This includes a multi-divisional Environmental Health and Safety
intervention and onsite essential service plan for supporting student basic needs. In
addition, the Slug Support Food Pantry moved into the Cowell Coffee Shop: For the
Peoples site and kept the pantry open for students. The partnership provided the
necessary space and equipment needed to follow COVID-19 health and safety
guidelines and meet onsite student needs. In the fall quarter, they collaborated with
the Financial Aid Office to email 8,097 students who were potentially eligible for
CalFresh. Lastly, staff from the Slug Support Pantry, the Coffee Shop and Dining
worked together to provide meal kits, meal swipes and pantry staples for students
who were staying in the Santa Cruz area over the break and during the fire evacuation
of campus this summer (including a pop-up pantry downtown).
• In response to the CZU Complex fire this past August, the Dean of Students Office and
Slug Support Case Management developed a 24-hour emergency line. This ensured
that the campus attended to housing and food needs in an emergency situation.
During the mostly remote learning environment, the line continues to be a direct way
that students in crisis can get in touch with case management.
Contact Information:
University of California
Office of the President
1111 Fra nklin Street
Oa kl and, CA 94607-5220
http://www.ucop.edu
