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Cal State Long Beach broke ground on a new, five-story residence hall on Thursday, strengthening the university’s commitment to remove barriers and provide housing security to students in need. 

In conjunction with the Long Beach Housing Promise, the 108,000 square-foot residence hall will feature 424 beds, with a mixture of single- and double-occupancy student housing rooms. Of those, 404 will be set aside for affordable housing that will be spread out among all the residence halls campuswide.

The new dorm, to be located north of Beach Drive next to the Hillside-Los Alamitos residence hall, will be called La Playa, Spanish for “The Beach.”  

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“With the aging of our current housing facilities and an ever-growing student-housing waitlist, the creation of additional — and affordable — on-campus housing is a high priority for The Beach,” said President Jane Close Conoley. 

The $115 million project is partly funded by California Senate Bill 183, which aims to increase the availability of affordable student housing across the state. The Beach was awarded $53 million through the bill, and the remainder will come from campus housing funds.    

“Not only will these beds be more affordable, but it contributes mightily to our students’ success,” said Corry Colonna, executive director of Housing and Residential Life at The Beach. “Studies show students who stay on campus tend to have better grades, earn credits more quickly, and have an improved overall campus experience.” 

Construction will begin in June, and the building is scheduled to be finished and ready to house students by fall 2026.