Some Cal Poly students will begin the fall quarter in temporary campus housing after the opening of the university’s new residential community was delayed, forcing students who expected new suite-style housing to relocate into existing Poly Canyon Village apartments.
The students, including transfer and continuing students, will temporarily live in Poly Canyon Village until the new residential community is ready for occupancy. Cal Poly anticipates the building will open mid-year.
“While the university had hoped to have the first building ready for occupancy at the beginning of the fall semester, preparations were made to accommodate students when the timeline shifted,” Cal Poly spokesperson Keegan Koberl told New Times in an email.
To accommodate the displaced students, Cal Poly will temporarily reconfigure designated four-bedroom, four-person apartments in Poly Canyon Village into six-person, three-bedroom apartments. One of the former bedrooms will be converted into a dedicated study room, meaning some students will share bedrooms in apartments originally designed for fewer occupants.
Approximately 309 students are currently expected to be assigned to temporary housing, though that number may change as students confirm enrollment and housing plans, Koberl said.
Students assigned to temporary housing will receive a 50 percent reduction on their housing fees while they remain in the temporary spaces. The university initially planned to provide smaller monthly credits, ranging from $100 to $300, according to an email sent to students in late June. After receiving student feedback, Cal Poly increased the compensation to a 50 percent housing fee reduction.
The temporary housing arrangement will affect students who selected spaces in the new suite-style community during housing selection. Those students will not move directly into their assigned rooms at the start of the academic year and will instead remain in temporary assignments until construction is complete.
Cal Poly said it will make efforts to keep roommate groups together during the transition and will provide additional details about the move process closer to the move date.
The university’s plan also affects some continuing students already living in Poly Canyon Village. Students in designated four-bedroom apartments will temporarily have two additional residents assigned to their units while the university uses existing campus housing capacity.
Those students will also receive a 50 percent reduction on housing fees while their apartments are used for temporary housing. Once the new residential community opens, the apartments will return to their original occupancy.
The university said the delayed opening will not force students into the local rental market.
“Cal Poly has developed a housing plan that accommodates all students who have secured university housing,” the university said in its updated Fall 2026 Housing Frequently Asked Questions. “Students affected by this transition will remain in university housing and will not need to seek housing in the local community as a result of the delayed occupancy of the new residential neighborhood.”
Cal Poly said the temporary housing plan is necessary as the university prepares its new residential community for occupancy.
“As with all major construction projects, timelines are subject to change due to a variety of factors,” Koberl said.
The university said the new residential neighborhood is a long-term investment in expanding campus housing capacity and that the phased opening will allow construction to continue while keeping students housed on campus.
“There is no change to the two-year housing requirement,” Koberl said.
Incoming first-year students will not be placed in the temporary housing arrangement. However, some first-year students may live in Cerro Vista Apartments as part of the university’s fall housing plan.
Students with questions about housing assignments or temporary arrangements can contact University Housing at housing@calpoly.edu. ∆
This article appears in July 16-23, 2026.
