WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) has introduced bipartisan legislation to address concerns about housing affordability on college and university campuses across the nation.
Moore’s proposed legislation – dubbed the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA) – would remove a restriction on non-profit student housing entities, including fraternities and sororities, from using donations to build and maintain quality student housing.
“I want to ensure that students across the nation are able to get the most out of their collegiate experiences without feeling burdened by housing costs,” Moore explained.
“This commonsense legislation amends the tax code to allow non-profit organizations to provide quality student housing, enhancing student affordable options, lowering their student loans and removing financial barriers to higher education.”
Moore’s staff members here in Washington add that student-housing costs are among the most expensive line items for young Americans pursuing higher education. That’s because many college and universities do not have the capacity or ability to house all their students, forcing many collegians to turn to expensive, for-profit housing options that exacerbate the rising cost of education.
The College Board estimates that half of what it costs to attend a community college now goes to room and board expenses.
Housing expenses also account for 44 percent of the total amount that in-state students spend to go to public universities and nearly a quarter of what students pay at private, non-profit colleges.
Non-profit organizations – including more than 120 U.S. fraternities and sororities – provide affording housing for more than 400,000 student nationwide.
But the tax code treats fraternities and sororities differently than other non-profit groups, according to Moore, disallowing tax deductible donations and limiting housing options.
Moore’s proposed legislation would change the U.S. tax code to treat all non-profit groups the same. That would allow fraternities and sororities to use charitable contributions to build affordable student housing as well as making improvements to the more than $5 billion worth of property already owned by those collegiate entities.
Moore’s legislation is also being co-sponsored by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), who praised the proposal for taking a critical step toward addressing and lowering out-of-pocket expenses for higher education.