Compton College unveils 251‑bed modular student housing, ties project to basic‑needs supports

Keith Curry, a presenter from Compton College, outlined the college’s plan to open a 251‑bed modular student housing complex and described a suite of basic‑needs services tied to the project.

Curry said Compton secured $80,300,000 from a state student‑housing grant program and is building a three‑wing, three‑story modular (value‑metric) development with units delivered from Boise; he said the campus project is part of a broader $160,000,000 construction program on campus. He told listeners the housing is expected to open in 2027 and that the board will consider a resolution to establish a $1,000,000 housing fund to pay initial leasing and staffing costs.

Why it matters: Curry framed housing as part of a strategy to accelerate student completion and address equity gaps. He presented survey figures his office collects showing high levels of need among students — food insecurity 55%, housing insecurity 68% and homelessness 28% — and argued that housing plus wraparound services will support retention and timely completion.

Curry said the housing project combines different unit types: shared suites, traditional rooms, studios and family units with kitchens and bathrooms. ‘‘Every student at Compton College receives one meal per day from the Everytable cafeteria,’’ he said, describing additional weekly food allowances at a campus farmers market and extra supports for students verified on CalFresh or CalWORKs. On meal pricing he estimated an Everytable meal at about $8.95.

On funding, Curry said the college used federal COVID‑era funds and interest earnings to seed programs, expects a COVID employee tax credit of roughly $9,100,000 (with $4,000,000 already set aside by the board), and reported $6,000,000 in accrued interest that can be applied within Department of Finance rules. He said he discussed interest‑use rules with the Department of Finance and obtained written confirmation for internal audit records.

Curry described an ongoing homeless‑housing pilot developed with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and said the district signed a contract with a first hotel the night before to place several students. He also described health services partnerships, saying Saint John’s Community Health runs the campus health center and the district included a 24/7 urgent‑care mental‑health facility in a bond measure that passed last fall with about 68% voter approval.

Operational concerns: Curry emphasized total cost of ownership and said the district will issue an RFP for a property manager rather than prescribing operational prioritization. He said the property‑manager selection will inform specifics such as prioritization of placements (his stated priorities: foster youth first, homeless students second, then in‑district students), how to manage family units and childcare, and when students should exit housing after graduation. He warned that occupancy risks could require general‑fund backfill and urged planning for worst‑case scenarios.

Safety and compliance: Curry said the operational budget includes funds for Title IX investigations and that the district will hire outside investigators if needed; the application process will exclude registered sex offenders and the campus plans to add roughly three officers to support 24/7 operations.

Next steps: Curry said the board is scheduled to vote on a resolution to establish a new housing fund and transfer $1,000,000 to it at its next meeting. He said additional operational details — financial‑aid bundling, CalWORKs voucher arrangements and property‑manager terms — will be finalized as the RFP process and vendor selection proceed.

The presentation concluded with Curry offering attendees his slide deck, which he said includes hyperlinks and data dashboards that disaggregate outcomes by course and program.