Quick Take
Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz will break ground Sept. 29 on a long-planned, $111 million joint student housing and child care project at Cabrillo’s Aptos campus, marking the community college’s first-ever student housing. Slated to open in fall 2027 with 624 beds — 60% reserved for Cabrillo students — the complex will also feature a child care center, wellness resources and priority housing for low-income and housing-insecure students.
Following years of planning, Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz will break ground on a student housing project and child care center for students of both schools Sept. 29 at Cabrillo’s Aptos campus.
Slated to open to students in fall 2027, the 624-bed project represents Cabrillo College’s first housing facility, and its first joint housing project with UCSC.
A total of 376 beds (60%) will be available for Cabrillo students and the remaining 248 beds (40%) will be for UCSC students. The child care center will have spaces for 50 to 64 infants, toddlers and preschoolers between 6 months and 3 years old.
On Sept. 29, local leaders, including Cabrillo College President Matt Wetstein, UCSC Chancellor Cindy Larive and state Sen. John Laird, will speak at a groundbreaking ceremony for the project at Cabrillo’s softball fields, college spokesperson Kristin Fabos confirmed to Lookout. Laird, who chairs the state Senate budget subcommittee on education, advocated for state funding for the project.
The state’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program awarded the college $111 million in bond funding for housing for the students for the project. The funds don’t include money to build the child care facility. The college and the Cabrillo College Foundation are raising about $4.5 million for the facility construction costs. Once it’s built, nonprofit Community Bridges will manage the child care services.
Because it’s a state grant for affordable housing, in order to live in the complex, students need to meet state requirements for low-income status, must be enrolled in 12 units or more each term and also remain in good academic standing. The program will also give first priority to students experiencing homelessness, who are transitioning from foster care and veterans in need of housing.
In 2024, the rent for a bed at the proposed housing facility was projected at about $1,046 per month. The project will have 101 four-bedroom units, 33 two-bedrooms for single occupancy, 31 two-bedrooms for double occupancy, 21 two-bedroom family units, three one-bedroom family units and six studios for resident assistants.
In addition to the child care center, residents will have access to a wellness and counseling center, a bike center, fitness area, study spaces and recreation rooms, and each building will have laundry facilities.
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