Cupertino council declines moratorium on student-housing conversions, adopts resolution to study student housing and tenant protections

Cupertino’s City Council declined to adopt an interim urgency moratorium that would have paused conversions of multifamily housing to student housing near Foothill–De Anza College District properties and instead approved a resolution directing staff to study options to protect tenants and encourage on‑campus student housing.

The council voted to approve the resolution 3–2, with Council members Fruin and Mohan voting no and Council member Wong, Vice Mayor Moore and Mayor Chow voting yes. The motion the council approved directs staff to pursue a study session and encourages construction of permanent on‑campus student housing while urging consideration of temporary alternatives that do not displace existing multifamily residents.

The dispute centers on the Foothill‑De Anza Community College District’s (FDCCD) effort to acquire McClellan Terrace Apartments, a roughly 300‑unit multifamily complex, a purchase the district’s representatives said the board moved forward on this week. District and college officials said the purchase would allow conversion of the property to deed‑restricted student housing and that all current residents would be permitted to remain under existing leases until June 30, 2026, with relocation assistance offered thereafter. Prometheus Real Estate Group, the current owner, said it planned to sell and has been coordinating tenant relocation options.

Why it matters: Supporters of the district’s plan told the council that many De Anza students are housing‑insecure and need nearby…