The Los Angeles Community College District has moved forward in a major effort to address Los Angeles’ student housing crisis after two of three requests for proposals were recently released.

“It is no secret that we are going through a housing crisis here in California, as well as an affordability crisis just across the state,” Sara Hernandez, vice president of the board of trustees at LACCD, said. “It is becoming increasingly difficult to buy a home or pay rent in Los Angeles and we’re seeing that across the board with our students.”

Made up of nine local campuses, plus one satellite campus, LACCD is one of the largest landlords in Los Angeles. The school district serves approximately 200,000 students – many of whom are first-generation, low-income, racially minoritized and formerly homeless individuals – but, to date, has never offered full-time housing.

“Housing is not just a housing issue,” Hernandez said. “It’s a basic needs issue. It’s an enrollment issue. Our students can’t enroll in our schools if they can’t afford to live here – it’s a transfer and completion issue.”

Recognizing the demand for more student housing, LACCD said it allocated $500 million in its last construction bond, Measure LA, which passed in 2022, but is just now becoming accessible via the RFP process.

“It can go to construction, it can go to acquisition and it also, I think, can be utilized for some sort of master lease agreement,” Hernandez said.

Housing as a basic need

Hernandez said the board is currently exploring all these options in order to house students in the most efficient way, adding that LACCD will most likely partner with outside companies to run the operations of the buildings.

The first RFP supports the acquisition, leasing and investment of off-campus student housing while the second RFP is meant for transitional housing. The school system is currently awaiting the release of a third, emphasizing public and private partnerships as a means to build housing on-campus.

“The most cost-efficient way for us to acquire housing is to purchase it,” Hernandez said. “And because we are a public entity and Measure ULA (a transfer tax) does not apply to us, we are a very attractive buyer.”

While housing options will ultimately be offered to all enrolled students, Hernandez said one of the biggest recipient groups will likely be aged-out foster youth.

Hernandez was unable to give a numerical goal or timeline on how many students can be housed by a certain year, but she said move ins are dependent on how fast LACCD can acquire property and then create a structure for the operation and maintenance to get those projects off the ground.