Cal Poly Partners opens Harvest Lofts to address faculty housing concerns

Cal Poly Partners has been working to address the growing demand for local affordable housing with the recent grand opening of their faculty housing development, Harvest Lofts.

Cal Poly Partners Real Estate Development and Services Associate Executive Director Jim Dunning shared that the Harvest Lofts property became available to Cal Poly Partners last summer, which allowed for a collaborative partnership with Williams Homes and Cirrus Property Management.

“What was available was six buildings,” Dunning said. “Each building has 20 units within each building, and these are efficiency units. So they’re between 450 and 550 square feet, studio and one bedroom.”

Dunning emphasized the importance of acquiring local apartments to prevent housing constraints affecting faculty recruitment and student development.

“These are workforce housing designed to be affordable,” Dunning said. “We need to continue to enable development so we can attract the best faculty and staff to help support our awesome students, right?”

The property is located on Madonna Road by Laguna Lake, with immediate access to the 3A bus line, making it a five  to ten minute drive from Cal Poly’s campus.

“What was really attractive with Harvest Lofts is that we wanted to make it as easy as possible for faculty and staff, so when they arrive, they don’t have to worry about appliances,” Dunning said. “There’s washers and dryers in the units. There’s heating, air conditioning, it’s all electric and solar power.”

He says that the development also offers community amenities.

“There’s a clubhouse with a swimming pool and barbecue available,” Dunning said. “So I think all the tenants are enjoying that.”

While Harvest Lofts is a stepping stone in providing housing products for faculty, Dunning and Cal Poly Partners hope to build a portfolio of housing options for faculty to transition through as their needs may change in the upcoming years.