91��Ů

The Los Angeles Community College District moves forward with plans to acquire or build housing for its students.

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 91��Ů, 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, 91��Ů 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, 91��٠said 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.