Key takeaways
- UCLA has purchased a newly constructed 62-unit apartment building in Cheviot Hills, with floor plans ranging from studios to three-bedroom units.
- Five apartments are designated as deed-restricted affordable housing with rents even lower than UCLA’s regular below-market rates.
- The building, less than 5 miles from UCLA, is close to a bus route and the Palms station of Metro’s Expo Line, which students can access with a Bruin Grad Pass.
In a strategic move to address the needs of graduate students, UCLA has acquired a newly built 62-unit apartment building in West Los Angeles, adding 142 beds to its inventory. The Canfield Apartments, at 3301 South Canfield Ave., are located in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood, surrounded by Westwood, Beverly Hills, Century City and Culver City.
Move-in for the first residents of the six-story building begins Oct. 1.
“This deal underscores UCLA’s commitment to offering comfortable and more affordable housing options for students in the competitive Los Angeles market,” said Pete Angelis, assistant vice chancellor for housing and hospitality.
The building, spanning nearly 84,000 square feet, offers a variety of accommodations, from studios to three-bedroom units. Each is fully furnished and features modern amenities such as spacious living areas, contemporary kitchens, wood-plank flooring, 9-foot ceilings, Nest thermostats and in-unit laundry facilities. Most also have private balconies.
The property’s community amenities include an indoor-outdoor fitness center, a coworking lounge, an Amazon locker, a conference room and two expansive rooftop sundecks featuring barbecues and views of West Los Angeles, Century City and the Hollywood sign.
As part of the development agreement, five of the apartments are designated as deed-restricted affordable housing units. This mechanism ensures that these units remain affordable for lower-income residents over the long term, with prices significantly below-market rates. Rent for student housing at UCLA is already below that of privately owned housing in the area, and this affordable housing designation allows for even deeper rent cuts for roughly a dozen student residents.
These deed-restricted affordable housing units are nearing completion and are expected to be available for move-in by mid–fall quarter. The Graduate Student Association helped raise awareness about the availability of these units for students with the greatest financial need.
Located less than 5 miles from the university’s Westwood campus, the building is also close to a bus route and the Palms station of the Metro’s Expo Line, which is particularly helpful for Bruin Grad Pass holders.
“An undertaking like this requires significant effort and collaboration,” Angelis said of the deal, noting that UCLA Housing works closely with UCLA Real Estate Services, the university’s chief financial officer and treasurer, and the University of California Office of the President on all real estate contracts.
In 2022, UCLA became the first — and remains the only — UC campus to guarantee housing to all undergraduates, including four years for first-year students and two years for transfers.