The Academe 198 building is pictured in 2023. It is part of the Academic Village — a shared campus model at UC College of the Law SF that offers a new approach for addressing the city’s housing crisis. 

More than two decades ago, when UC College of the Law San Francisco (then known as Hastings) planned and constructed a parking garage, neighbors pushed back. They didn’t want cars. They wanted housing. They had a point. That conflict was a turning point in the school’s relationship with the Tenderloin. Since then, the bonds between the institution and the community have grown and flourished. And now we’re building housing.

What is emerging is known as the Academic Village — a shared campus model in the heart of San Francisco that offers a powerful new approach to the city’s housing crisis. It’s not just a concept — it’s a prototype for how institutions with aligned needs can collaborate on scalable, community-focused housing solutions.

San Francisco’s housing crisis touches all of us. It affects families trying to stay in the city, workers commuting farther than ever and students choosing between their education and a roof over their heads. While the public conversation often focuses on market-rate developments, density bonuses and other affordable housing incentives, there’s a quieter — but no less critical — piece to this story: how we house the students, faculty and staff who power our higher education institutions.

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The Academic Village demonstrates how anchor institutions — including universities, hospitals, major nonprofits and aligned employers — can work together to address housing needs without competing for limited real estate or displacing existing........

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