With the recently announced $1 billion, 10-year housing plan at Cal Poly, more students will have the opportunity to find on-campus housing in the coming years.
The campus may feel empty right now but some students are already moving into their off-campus housing, preparing for the school year in September.
Sunna Mai is a third-year at Cal Poly who lives in a neighborhood adjacent to the university. She likes it more than living on campus.
“When you're living with a lot of people, it can get a little bit hectic. I kind of like my own personal space,” Mai said.
In July, it was announced that over the next 10 years, there would be nine new housing developments on campus that would include 4,100 new beds. Students we talked to then said that it was needed.
“They're concerned and I think with good right to be because it is an expensive housing market," said Cat Placencia, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Housing at Cal Poly. "College is expensive, off-campus is expensive and so I think it's awesome that we're looking for ways to try to house more students.”
It’s no secret the surrounding San Luis Obispo neighborhoods are expensive but Mai explains that if you’re patient and flexible, there are options that can be cheaper than the current on-campus housing.
“Off-campus is a lot more flexible and they're able to find housing that's a lot cheaper, even a lot cheaper than what I'm paying,” she said.
On the flip side, there’s the convenience and standard of living that's attractive for those who prefer to live on-campus, like third-year student Lena Nguyen.
“I'm really excited for what's to come in the next 10 to 12 years,” Nguyen said.
With a growing enrollment that has risen by almost 2,100 since 2014, campus is getting busier with the need for more places to live on or off-campus also rising. Placencia explained that they are trying to make it more affordable and accessible to live on-campus with fixed rates and a housing grant for low-income students that has risen from $860,000 to $3.6 million since 2018.
“We're in a unique position that we're able to bring this project to campus,” Placencia said.
Right now, a lottery is in place for students who want to live on-campus beyond their first year with a waitlist that has averaged around 1,000 students in recent years, according to Placencia.
