This report was created through a partnership with the Sage Project at San Diego State University (SDSU) during the spring of 2019. The research contained herein was conducted by students in an upper-division political science course headed by Professor Brian Adams. The given goal was to provide a policy analysis providing options for affordable housing at the future SDSU Mission Valley site. A differentiation between market-rate and non-profit-provided housing was made to divide this research into two main policy areas with multiple subsections within those areas. The data gathered on these topics include definitions, advantages, disadvantages, case studies, and potential feasibility. We acknowledge the fiscal, temporal, and political limitations that could prevent SDSU from pursuing some of the more philanthropic options in delivering housing to its community; bottom lines must be considered, and loans repaid. Market-rate student housing can be delivered through various avenues including the public (university-owned) and private sphere. A confluence between the two parties can allow for public-private partnerships, which have been successfully used to create student-only housing, as seen at The Green, at the University of California, Davis; or mixed-use buildings with retail and commercial spaces that include both student and residential housing, as seen in the University of Central Florida’s Creative Village. Micro units are a growing trend showing favor among student-aged demographics that could be accomplished through both the public and private sector. Non-profits organizations, like the Collegiate Housing Foundation, have financed over $3.1 billion in student housing facilities with multiple examples at the University of California, Irvine. On a smaller scale, student housing cooperatives, such as the Berkeley Student Cooperative, have provided students with low-cost housing for nearly a century—although the model seems limited in scalability. We recognize how contingent SDSU’s decision-making will likely be when considering policy options for its Mission Valley site. Our aim is to allow for informed decision-making given quality information.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103
University Faculty Contact
Brian Adams
Local Government / Community Contact