Faculty and Staff Housing
Access to attainable housing is consistently cited as a major hurdle in hiring and retaining new faculty and staff members. The Cal Poly Corporation, alongside the university, is developing additional housing for campus community members to help ease this burden. The first of these developments, Bella Montana, was completed in 2006 and offers 69 owner-occupied homes near campus. The second planned housing project at the corner of Slack Street and Grand Avenue will include a roughly 200-unit community, on the corner of the Grand Avenue entrance to campus. The units will be available to faculty and staff to buy or rent. Following the completion of the Slack and Grand development, work will move forward on a third project adjacent to Bella Montana. To help further expand housing options for faculty and staff the Corporation and the project steering committee have established a Faculty and Staff Housing Program with long term goals and objectives while also creating a sustainable and scalable operating model that can be used for other future projects.
Faculty and Staff Housing Program
To make an impact and ease some of the financial stress for our faculty and staff, the Corporation and our university partners have created a set of clear goals. The Faculty and Staff Housing Program will evolve as needed. Currently it includes three phases.
Short Term
- Data collection
- Establishing objectives
- Establishing a Resource Center
- Begin development projects
Medium Term
- Loan Program(s)
- Partner Program(s)
- Campus Workshops
- Increase childcare capacity
Long Term
- Develop 400-600 units
- Mix of for-sale and rental
- Slack & Grand complete in 2025
- H9 complete in 2027
Housing Demand Analysis
In December 2021 Cal Poly Corporation, in partnership with the university, launched a survey to help gain a better understanding of the current housing needs and desires and gauge interest in future housing projects. More than 34 percent of the 3,084 employees surveyed, responded.
The survey was followed by eight focus group sessions and a demand study.
The demand study findings, while not surprising, add data points and personal stories that highlight the housing challenge and how it impacts individual employees and, ultimately, the university.
Faculty and Staff Housing Developments
Bella Montaña
Completed in 2006, Bella Montaña’s 69 units are available to faculty and staff for 50%-60% of current market value. Conveniently located near the Cal Poly campus at the northwest corner of Highland Drive and North Santa Rosa Street.
Slack and Grand
This neighborhood on the corner of the Grand Avenue entrance to campus will include a roughly 200-unit community. A mix of rental and for sale units is in the design phase and is scheduled to be complete in 2025.
H9
Located just north of the Bella Montana community, H9 is planned to include 200 units available for sale or rent to faculty and staff. This is currently in the feasibility stage.
Faculty and Staff Program Timeline
