Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Fresno, Calif., Aims to Convert Motel to Affordable Student Housing

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/06/22

The city of Fresno, Calif., recently proposed the conversion of a local motel into a housing facility for students at Fresno City College. On Dec. 9, 2021, the Fresno City Council voted to submit a joint application to Homekey 2.0 for about $13 million in funds to purchase and renovate the San Joaquin Hotel.

According to local news sources, construction could be complete as soon as fall 2022, providing 69 apartments that could provide space for about 300 students. About half the space in the complex would be reserved for students ages 18–24. Student rent would be subsidized at $367 per month, and residents would be required to be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours and have at least a 2.0 GPA.

The project is a result of a partnership among the city of Fresno, developers UPholdings and RH Community Builders, the Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission and Fresno City College to help house students who would otherwise be homeless.

“Why this particular partnership is so groundbreaking and essential for the future is that any person who is living on Parkway, anyone who is living on the street can apply to Fresno City College in the Spring semester and be eligible for this housing—anybody in our community,” said Natalie Chavez, program coordinator for Fresno City Housing Opportunities Promote Education (HOPE).

Should Homekey 2.0 provide the necessary funds, UPholdings would take charge of purchasing and renovating the hotel. The project’s total budget is about $13 million, about $10.5 million of which would be used to purchase the property.

Local news reports that the funding application is on track for submission by the end of January 2022.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.