Cerritos College Plans $80M Student Housing

Cerritos College students could gain 106 on-campus units once the $80 million project clears environmental review.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Financial Aid

Cerritos College Plans $80M Student Housing

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Cerritos Community College District has filed an environmental notice with Los Angeles County for a student housing project on the Cerritos College campus. The project would add housing for students on a site currently used as a surface parking lot.

Why it matters

The project is funded with $80 million, including $68 million in state money, and would give students in Cerritos a new place to live near campus. Similar student housing is being built at Compton College and Long Beach City College, reflecting a broader push to address student housing needs at community colleges.

The project carries $80 million in total funding, combining $68 million in state money with $12 million allocated by the Board of Trustees. The filed plan includes 106 residential units across three multi-story buildings totaling 102,000 square feet.

The players

Cerritos Community College District

The public community college district that operates Cerritos College and is sponsoring the student housing project.

Cerritos College

A public community college in southeastern Los Angeles County that already operates housing for homeless students.

Los Angeles County

The county government that received the environmental notice for the proposed housing project.

The details

The project would replace an existing surface parking lot on the western side of the Cerritos College campus, along Studebaker Road near Falcon Way. The three-building complex would include shared dining areas, offices, and laundry facilities alongside its residential units. Funding is layered from state money and district dollars, and the environmental notice filed with Los Angeles County is the required step in the review process.

Timeline

  1. 2024: Cerritos College announced that $68 million in state funding had been secured for the project.

  2. November 9, 2026: The district filed the environmental notice with Los Angeles County.

Education Landscape

Cerritos joins Compton College and Long Beach City College in building on-campus housing, a sign that community colleges across the region are responding to student housing needs. The project also builds on existing housing Cerritos already offers students experiencing homelessness.

If the project moves forward, students at Cerritos College could gain on-campus housing options in a future phase, though the source gives no opening date. Students interested in housing support should ask the college's financial-aid or student services office what resources are available now.

The takeaway

Campus housing projects like this one depend on a mix of state and local dollars, so the funding timeline can shape when students gain access. Students who need housing help now should contact the college's financial-aid or student services office to learn about current options.

Further reading

For background on how students pay for school, see Financial Aid in Cerritos.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Urbanize LA.

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