CRC Awarded $44 Million for Housing Grant
October 12, 2022
Cosumnes River College (CRC) will receive $44 million from the State of California Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program to construct a new apartment complex for student housing, prioritizing low-income students enrolled in at least 12 units a semester and promoting affordable housing.
The site location for the project will be located across from the college’s main campus at 7800 West Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento. CRC currently does not have any student housing on or near the college.
The college is planning to build a 147 bed complex, and each unit will be fully furnished including in-unit bathrooms, kitchenette and all relevant utilities, including internet connection. Other features include informal student lounges and bike storage spaces.
“This crucial grant is a game changer for our students. This project will empower our students by providing affordable housing within walking distance of the college, ” said CRC President Edward Bush. “This will allow the college to serve a larger number of low-income students by offering student housing at reduced rents. This should also decrease the time for degree completion and/or transfer and help students persist in their academic programs. More importantly, it will help students achieve a better sense of belonging and acclimate to a higher education campus climate, particularly for first-year, first-generation low-income students.”
With this grant, the project will help meet student equity goals by providing a safe and secure location close to the college and will decrease housing costs while improving access to instruction and critical student services for a historically underserved segment of the student population.
“One of our highest priorities is to create a more equitable environment for our students, especially those who are most impacted by recent rental market trends,” said Bush.
The housing footprint will be part of a larger site of mixed-use, master-planned development that includes a Foods Co. grocery store within walking distance, as well as other market-rate apartments.
The project is a joint venture between Cosumnes River College, the Los Rios Community College District, Eden Housing, and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency and is slated to begin construction in the Fall 2023, with an anticipated occupancy as early as Fall 2025.