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Bay Area Community Colleges Launch Student Housing Projects Amid Affordability Crisis

  • Bay Area Real Estate Insider
  • Apr 16
  • 2 min read

In response to the Bay Area’s ongoing housing crisis—and its impact on students—several community college districts are moving forward with large-scale housing developments aimed at easing student homelessness and providing more affordable options.


Fueled in part by the region’s AI-fueled tech boom and luxury home sales, housing prices across the Bay Area have reached historic highs. This affordability gap has left many community college students, often juggling multiple jobs or commuting long distances, struggling to find stable housing. In some cases, students are living in their cars or couch-surfing just to stay in school.

To address this, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District has purchased a 94-unit apartment complex near its Cupertino campus. After renovations, the building is expected to house 332 students by the start of the fall quarter. The district received $200 million in state funding to support the project, which is being hailed as a model for other colleges facing similar challenges.


Meanwhile, the San Mateo Community College District is planning to build a 316-bed student apartment complex that will include both individual units and shared living spaces. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with doors opening to students in 2027. Officials say the complex will help reduce the financial burden on students who are often priced out of the local rental market.

Ohlone College in Fremont is also planning to add more than 500 student beds on its main campus by 2028. The project is still in the planning stages but has received early support from local leaders and student advocacy groups who cite housing as one of the top barriers to student success.


Despite these positive steps, not all districts have been successful in securing the funding needed to move forward. In 2023, the Peralta Community College District’s bid for a 306-bed student housing complex in Oakland was denied by the state, highlighting the intense competition for limited state dollars. The California Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program, which has allocated $2 billion for such projects, has received far more applications than it can fund.


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