Editor's Note: This is part two of a three part special report. Make sure to check out part one and part three.
SAN DIEGO (KOGO) - The state’s department of finance has recommended tens of millions of dollars in grant funding to create affordable housing for students at several community colleges.
San Diego City College received a planning grant to help lay the groundwork for student housing near the downtown campus. John Parker, DBA, Vice President of Administrative Services at City College says the site they're looking at is where the child development center used to be on 16th Street.
"It's a 16 story facility with approximately 210 units but 615 thereabout beds, because there's a mixture of single residence and multi-residence," Parker said.
An artist's rendering of what the new student housing building could look like on 16th Street across the City College campus.Photo: San Diego Community College District
Parker says students with the most need, including single mothers, former foster youth, veterans and justice impacted (previously incarcerated) person will be given first priority once the new building is open. He also says the rent for these units will be about one-third of the market rate. Currently, the market rate for a one bedroom apartment in the downtown area is $2,800 a month, which means students in the new building would only pay about $800 a month for a similar unit.
The move comes at a time when City College students are definitely struggling with keeping a roof over their head.
"64 percent of City students experienced housing insecurities, the national average is 52 percent," said Parker, quoting from a 2020 RealCollege Survey. "Out of the same survey of City students, 20 percent at some point experienced some form of homelessness."
Other community colleges, including Reedley College near Fresno, Ventura College and College of the Siskiyous will be building new or additional student housing as a part of the state initiative. Plans are also being made for housing Imperial Valley College students in a partnership with San Diego State University.
Editor's Note: This is part two of a three part special report. Make sure to check out part one and part three.