SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) - Some Cal State San Marcos freshmen students are scrambling to find housing just weeks before the start of the school year after being placed on a waitlist for on-campus housing.
Jenny Phommasinh, a 19-year-old incoming freshman from Valley Center, is among those struggling to secure housing after receiving notice in June that she had been waitlisted.
I met Phommasinh outside an apartment complex near California State University San Marcos where she hoped to sign a lease, something she didn't think she'd be trying to do at this point.
Phommasinh got accepted to the school in March, paid the $100 fee for a housing application and submitted her preference list.
"I was excited to make new friends, being close to school. Not worried about commuting ... the feeling of experiencing the college experience," Phommasinh said.
In June, she got the email from the school. Because of ‘high demand,’ she had been placed on the wait list.
"The stress started running into my head. Oh, no. I have to find housing right away," Phommasinh said.
Phommasinh isn't alone in her housing struggles.
"Everyone is frustrated," said Meridith Marshal.
On several Facebook pages, including one for families of incoming freshmen, dozens of parents and students have expressed concerns about not having housing.
Marshall's daughter Sierra may now have to commute from their home in Ramona.
"I think freshmen who want to live on campus should be able to live on campus. I think it's important to, especially if you want your freshman students to feel part of the community," Marshall said. “She’s disappointed. She was really looking forward to being on campus."
Historically known as a commuter school, officials at CSUSM have been trying to change that image. In March, the school celebrated the end of its structural phase for a new affordable housing project. The overall goal is to expand to more than 3,300 beds by 2027.
Still, in the initial email detailing the housing application, students living within 40 miles of the school were encouraged to explore other options.
Phommasinh has been exploring options close to the school without much luck. At the complex she was at on Thursday, she says she was unable to apply, as they don't accept parents as co-signers.
"I don't have the words for this. I'm stressed, I'm mad. I’ll just keep looking," Phommasinh said.
CSUSM released the following statement:
"CSUSM has housed every freshman student who met the housing application deadline for the 2025-26 academic year. We have made significant progress on the post-deadline waitlist, and we continue to identify cancellations and move people off the waitlist on a rolling basis. As spaces become available, we will continue to move people off the waitlist through the beginning of the semester.
We have multiple housing projects in progress, including a new residence hall, with 555 beds, scheduled to open in Fall 2026. By Fall 2026 we will have over 2,400 beds and by Fall 2027 we will have over 3,300 beds.
In the meantime, we recognize this is a challenging situation and know that housing is a very important part of coming to college. We are committed to helping each student, whether through providing on-campus housing or helping them find off-campus housing through our off-campus housing coordinator. We are working to expedite this process and we are prioritizing our first-year students. We factor in the distance to the student's permanent address, and highest priority goes to those from outside a 40-mile radius.
The Off-Campus Housing Coordinator is also assisting students with finding roommates, talking with apartment complexes, and has offered two off-campus housing fairs. Students can also request assistance with off-campus housing through our off-campus housing website and off-campus housing coordinator at offcampushousing@csusm.edu," said Dr. Jason Schreiber, Dean of Students.
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