By Lyle Weems, Staff Writer
This July an exciting new project was finished on the UCR campus. The North District 2 project has been completed after 21 months of construction, creating a new complex of two apartment-style buildings for student housing.
In fall of 2021, the North District project was opened as a partnership between UCR and Riverside Community College District to provide affordable housing for students attending both UCR and Riverside Community College within the district. After $126 million in state funding was acquired, the project picked up pace, and 429 new units containing a total of 1,568 beds are ready to be filled with incoming College students. Within the North District, 652 bed spaces are being offered at below market rent prices for RCC and UCR students to split half and half. The rooms are fully furnished with high-speed wireless internet, central heating and air conditioning, a stove, a microwave, and a refrigerator. To top it off, there are community spaces surrounding these units: Including courtyards, a gym, a parking lot, laundry facilities, bike storage, a park, and study spaces. This complex is perfectly equipped to encourage mingling between students and ensure a comfortable living experience.
This is a one of a kind partnership between the UC and city colleges meant to promote stronger ties between the schools, including students who plan to move forward into a four year university. “A win win win”, says Jason Weems, faculty at UCR, when speaking about the potential influx of student communication and activity at UCR that comes with close quarters and low prices. “A win for community colleges as it provides housing and higher levels of contact with UCR, a win for UCR with more student interest and prepared future students, and most of all it’s a win for students who now have more options for affordable housing in Riverside.”
In this opening year of the North District 2 dorms, there were over 1,000 applicants from RCCD to fill the 248 spots. The newly moved in students received a warm welcome with exclusive activity nights and pizza parties to celebrate their arrivals. On top of that, Housing Services personnel are always close by with campus resources to help direct new students through the UCR campus. Most of these individuals were from the home campus, RCC, but students from all three community colleges in the district were encouraged to apply. Commuting is simplified by the Riverside Transit Authority bus route, which has stations near each college. The now settled down students had to fulfill various requirements to apply, including being enrolled with at least 12 credits, having a good academic standing, pledging as eligible for financial aid, having plans to transfer to a four-year university, and committing to an annual contract with the housing complex. Madison Faulkner, an RCC student who had considered enrolling, expresses that many Riverside students want to “move away from home” and that many “come from far away to RCC for the different programs, but often struggle to find affordable housing.”
It is safe to say that communal interest has been peaked by the creation of these dorms. Both students and staff are excited to extend the dorm experience to lower income students, as well as provide stable housing for many new faces. Programs such as the Promise Program at RCC allow students to transfer to a UC after two consecutive years on the RCC campus. These new programs will likely bloom with new complexes as North District 2 students can firsthand view the campuses they usually plan to later attend. These new dorms will “increase exposure of RCC students to the UC lifestyle” says Jason Weems. He clarifies that a close relationship between the Universities will foster a student body “better prepared for starting at a four-year university.” As demand for housing increases, the joint operation seems an exceedingly positive plan to improve the College experience of the new and adventurous students to come.