WHEREAS, the California State Student Association is the single recognized voice of more than 480,000 students enrolled in the California State University System; and 

WHEREAS, In the 2020 CSSA policy agenda, priority number one is to “Enable access to housing, food, and wellness resources that promote overall student health and safety”1; and 

WHEREAS, 47% of lower-income adults say they or a household member have experienced a loss of employment or a pay cut directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic2; and 

WHEREAS, California has food deserts in 371 census tracts that affect more than 1.9 million people. Of those 1.9 million people, about half have low access to retail food3; and 

WHEREAS, the California Student Aid Commission’s 2018-2019 Student Expenses and Resources Survey (SEARS) found that nearly 1 in 3 students faced food insecurity prior to the COVID-19 outbreak4; and