Some USC students have been left scrambling to find temporary housing amid construction delays at two off-campus apartment buildings in Exposition Park.
Despite having signed leases months ago, students haven’t been able to move in.
That’s because Jefferson Flats on Jefferson Boulevard and Hub LA Figueroa on Figueroa Street are still under construction. Neither building is affiliated with the university.
In late June, USC sophomore and pre-med student Ryan Kober received an email from Jefferson Flats saying construction on the site was delayed and his scheduled move-in date was moved to mid-September, about month after classes were set to start for the fall.
A few weeks later, the Philadelphia native got another email saying the move-in date was pushed again to October.
Instead of living in an apartment close to campus with his friend and amenities that drew him in — like brand new construction and a gym — for a reasonable price, Kober is staying at an Airbnb farther from campus.
“I was overwhelmed, my mom was overwhelmed because I’m her only child, I’m on the other side of the country,” he said.
The Airbnb is costing him more than rent would have cost at the apartment building, “which sucks,” Kober said.
Monica Song also said she signed a lease at Jefferson Flats. She was told crews were very confident construction would be done by the move-in date.
With the delays, she too is in a pricier Airbnb, an extra burden for the student from South Korea whose visa does not allow her to work in the U.S.
“Since I can’t work, my parents are paying for my bills,” Song said.
HubLA, another off-campus development that markets to students, was also not ready as planned.
“Unfortunately, Hub LA Figueroa was not ready for residents to move in on the originally planned date of August 14, 2023. We are working to confirm the new move-in date as soon as possible. We understand this is not how our residents planned to start the school year,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
Hub LA Figueroa said they gave tenants options of a daily stipend, a hotel room, or delaying rent until move in.
KTLA reached out to Jefferson Flats for comment, but had not heard back as of Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Kober is crossing his fingers that his patience pays off.
“I hope this is worth the wait, that’s what I keep telling everyone,” he said.
The students told KTLA they were given an option to cancel their lease or get a few hundred dollars off a month when they do finally move in.