New Leadership Program, Design Catalyst, Tackles the Student Housing Crisis in LA
This spring, Cuningham introduced Design Catalyst, a pilot leadership development program created to invest in employees who have shown exceptional leadership and dedication to our core values and purpose. A diverse cohort of eight individuals was invited by senior leaders to participate. These leaders will leverage their varied skills, backgrounds, and perspectives to address housing insecurity for college students — a persistent and devastating issue for communities across the country. They will develop strategies, contribute research, and form teams to generate potential solutions with a focus on the student housing landscape in Los Angeles.
Organized in two phases, Catalyst begins with workshops led by industry experts in ecological justice, community organizing, design research, and digital transformation. Marcy Schulte, Executive Director of Innovation at Cuningham, will also introduce and frame the crisis with a focus on its context in Los Angeles where the problem has never been more critical. Later this month, the Catalyst team will also spend a week in Los Angeles conducting site visits, meeting with nonprofit leaders, and examining the housing ecosystem.
Why Student Housing in LA?
According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, from 2022-2023, the city of Los Angeles witnessed a 10% increase in its unhoused population, an ongoing trend that disproportionately affects LGBTQ, BIPOC, foster youth, and low-income groups. This issue is particularly acute among community college students, with more than 50,000 facing housing insecurity within the Los Angeles Community College District alone.
Pictured: In late 2023, the California Student Aid Commission released a comparative analysis highlighting student food and housing insecurity in California from 2018-19 to 2022-23. The findings indicate a worsening crisis, with both food and housing insecurity rates rising sharply during this period.
California Student Aid Commission. (2023). Food and Housing Survey: Understanding Students’ Basic Needs. [PDF file]. Retrieved from www.csac.ca.gov.
Stable, affordable housing is foundational to academic success, mental health, and overall well-being, enabling students to fully engage with their education, pursue their dreams, and contribute to a functional democracy.
Marcy Schulte
Principal | Executive Director - Innovation
In Catalyst’s second phase, the cohort will be joined by students selected by the Catalyst team for a seven-week internship. Together they will build relationships and seek insights they can use to help pave the way for innovative housing models that shape sustainable and inclusive futures.
We believe that housing is a human right and that it is our responsibility to work toward housing solutions that can provide stability and belonging for students and their families. The Catalyst leaders' work will be documented and shared in blog posts over the coming weeks.