Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Through Creative Campus Development

With housing costs on the rise, colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to accommodate more students, faculty, and staff on campus. How can institutions navigate shifting costs and financing options to deliver the housing their communities need? This session will explore creative approaches to financing and building campus housing, drawing on case studies and real-world strategies from across California. Topics will include:

Leveraging existing campus assets—such as relocating programs, building new housing types, or repurposing underutilized spaces.
Forming strategic partnerships to tap into public-private collaboration, grant funding, and tax incentives.
Exploring innovative financing mechanisms, including tax credits and partnerships with developers connected to alternative funding sources.

Panelists will share lessons learned from three California campuses that utilized the Higher Education Student Housing Grant and Capacity Expansion Grant Programs, and examine how institutions can move forward by leveraging the State University Faculty and Employee Housing Act of 2024.

Moderator:
-Jessica Orlando, Associate Principal, Perkins & Will

Speakers:
-Monica Amalfitano, Campus Eng/Dir. of Design & Construction Service, CSU Long Beach
-Rhiannon Ballard, Chief Operating Officer, UC Law
-Heidi Scribner, Associate Vice Chancellor, Auxiliary Services, UC Riverside