Promotional materials for USC Village encourage students to “Shop, Dine, Downward Dog.” (Photo: USC)
My earliest memories are rooted in South LA, a place that shaped me long before I understood how much it would mean to me. As a child, I lived in a two bedroom, one bathroom house on 36th Street with my four siblings. We had friends and family nearby, including my godparents who lived down the street.
I loved playing baseball in the backyard and running around with our dogs. It was a community of deep roots, where families had lived for generations, where neighbors looked out for each other, where the corner store owner knew my name. My mom trusted my two brothers and me to ride our bikes and scooters to the ARCO AM/PM near Exposition Park late at night because we knew our neighborhood, and our neighborhood knew us. But in recent years, I have watched this community transform, not to benefit the people who built their lives here, but to accommodate the growing student population at the University of Southern California (USC), where I happen to also be attending as a graduate student in the social work program.
Growing up, I saw USC as both a prestigious university and a neighbor I believed cared about the community. It was an elite institution I once dreamed of attending, which would prove that someone like me could “make it.” But while writing this op-ed and reflecting on what’s happening to the neighborhood I used to call home, I’ve come to see USC differently. It hasn’t uplifted the community; it has sold it out. The very institution I once admired is now one of the driving forces behind the erasure of my old neighborhood.
On a recent visit home, I drove by our old nextdoor neighbor and was shocked to find the house gone – USC turned it into apartments. The families my parents used to know down the street? Their homes are gone too. It’s all student housing now. The apartment building across from us, once filled with working-class families, kids playing on the steps, laundry hanging from balconies, was gutted, repainted, and converted into luxury student housing with sleek glass windows, keypad entries, and rent triple what it used to be.
Before and after showing a family home replaced by a newly constructed apartment building near USC. (Photo: Ivette Torres)
All these affordable homes have been demolished and replaced by expensive high-rise complexes, with rents far beyond what most longtime residents can afford. Streets once full of familiar faces now feel unrecognizable, with longtime residents forced to relocate miles away. Decades of history, culture, and family legacies have been erased to make way for developments that cater exclusively to students.
USC’s overall enrollment has grown steadily over the past decade, increasing from about 34,700 students in 2013 to nearly 49,000 in 2024. At the same time, the cost of attending USC has surged, with undergraduate tuition rising by about 41%, from $48,280 in 2014 to $68,237 in 2024, while the total annual costs of attendance, including housing, meals, and fees is projected to approach $100,000 for the 2025-26 academic school year. These rising costs make it increasingly difficult for residents in the surrounding South LA community, many of whom face economic hardship, to attend the university, even though it is located in the middle of their own neighborhood.
To keep up with the growing enrollment, USC has significantly expanded student housing, with major developments like the Landmark Properties project (1,500+ beds), USC Expo (260 beds), and Jasper LA (estimated 400-600 beds). While these projects cater to the growing student population, they also fuel gentrification, pushing out longtime Black and Latino residents. Between 2018 and 2022, developers purchased 274 properties west of USC, accelerating the displacement of low-income communities.
Although direct causation is difficult to prove, these changes coincide with long term demographic shifts. In 1990, the area had over 20,200 Black residents (24%), but by 2019 that number had significantly declined to just under 11,500 (13%), representing a drop of nearly half. In that same period, the number of white residents and median household income both rose significantly. Specifically, the share of households earning over $100,000 more than doubled, while those earning under $30,000 dropped by 10 percentage points, signaling a dramatic economic transformation of the neighborhood.
As demand for student housing grows, landlords take advantage of the opportunity to raise rents, knowing that affluent out-of-state and international students can afford the skyrocketing prices. But this isn’t just about rent hikes, it’s about the destruction of a culture, a history, a home.
When families are displaced, they lose more than housing; they lose their social networks, access to familiar schools, and the support systems that help them survive and thrive. In some cases, families are pushed into areas with fewer job opportunities, underfunded schools, and less access to critical resources, setting them back economically and socially for generations to come.
USC Village is a prime example of the university’s harmful gentrification. This large, modern development next to USC features student housing for thousands of undergraduates, along with a variety of shops, restaurants, and community spaces that were built to serve both the university and the surrounding area… or so they promised. A South Central Rooted report highlights how projects like USC Village accelerated displacement, raised rents, and pushed out families.
When the university first proposed USC Village, it assured the community that the project would support local businesses and create a shared space for students and longtime residents. In reality, corporate chains have replaced family-owned businesses, and the promised inclusivity never materialized. Before the Village, a Superior grocery store and a community theater served both residents and students, offering affordable, accessible resources. Now they are gone, replaced by high-end retailers like Lululemon, Face Haus, and Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop that cater exclusively to a wealthier student demographic.
The loss of these spaces has left residents with fewer affordable options for groceries, entertainment, and community gathering spots, further isolating them from the area they once thrived in. I come from a low-income family that can barely afford school itself, let alone the high-end restaurants that now fill the village. Sometimes I don’t even have time to cook, so having accessible, affordable food nearby would make a real difference, not just for me, but for many students and residents alike.
USC and the city often frame gentrification as progress, highlighting new development, economic growth, and improved infrastructure. However, these changes disproportionately benefit wealthier residents and investors while pushing out long-standing, marginalized communities. But this does not have to be the fate of South LA. USC must take responsibility for the displacement it caused and start investing in truly affordable housing for both students and residents.
Policymakers must also do their part by strengthening rent control and tenant protection measures. City Council consistently fails to pass stricter rent stabilization bills that would protect communities like South LA. At the state level, we need to enforce and expand protections like AB 1482 (the California Tenant Protection Act), which limits annual rent increases and requires just cause for evictions. Currently, AB 1482 has serious flaws; it exempts newer buildings and many single-family homes, allows rent hikes of up to 10% in some years, and lacks strong enforcement.
Without stronger local laws and accountability, these protections are often not enough to prevent displacement.
Legal protections that could help tenants stay in their homes have been systematically weakened by state laws — especially the Ellis Act and the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. The Ellis Act allows landlords to evict tenants if they claim to be removing the property from the rental market, a tactic often used by real estate investors to convert rent-stabilized units into high cost housing. Costa-Hawkins prevents cities from applying rent control on certain types of housing, including new construction.
Housing justice advocates have long pushed for the full repeal of Costa-Hawkins to restore local control over rent regulation, with efforts that include past ballot measures like Prop 10 (2018), Prop 21(2020), and the Justice for Renters Act (2024). Similarly, many advocates are working to repeal or reform the Ellis Act to prevent abuse by speculators. For example, AB 2050 would require landlords to own a property for at least five years before invoking the law. Groups like Tenants Together, Housing is a Human Right, and The Alliance for California Community Empowerment (ACCE Action) continue to lead the fight to protect tenants and preserve affordable housing.
Most importantly, longtime residents need a seat at the table in urban planning decisions so those who have built this neighborhood are not treated as afterthoughts. In 2001, USC signed a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) under pressure from the Figueroa Corridor Coalition (now part of UNIDAD, United Neighbors In Defense Against Displacement). A CBA is a legally binding contract that guarantees benefits for local residents in exchange for public support of a development project.
In this case, USC committed to affordable housing, local hiring, and support for small businesses but never followed through. Instead, they have relied on controlled forms of outreach like public meetings and service programs, including one-time rental aid and tenants’ rights workshops,which give the appearance of engagement while limiting community influence. These efforts often lack transparency, since decisions are pre-made; accountability, since leaders face no consequences for ignoring input; and any meaningful opportunities for residents to shape decisions that affect their lives.
By contrast, CBAs like the one tied to Crypto.com Arena have secured millions in community investment, local job guarantees, and anti-displacement measures, showing what’s possible when neighborhoods are genuinely included.
Beyond policy changes, it’s essential to empower the community members and organizations already leading efforts to resist displacement. This includes supporting local businesses over corporate chains, attending city planning meetings, and holding USC accountable through student activism and alumni pressure. Community organizations like the Los Angeles Tenants Union (LATU) and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) have long been organizing against displacement and advocating for stronger tenant protections in South Los Angeles.
Additionally, expanding participation with tenants’ rights groups along with legal support for those facing eviction can help slow the rapid displacement caused by unchecked development.
Preserving South LA requires more than acknowledgment; it requires action. We each have a role to play in shaping a future that values people over profit. Here are a few steps students, residents, and allies can take:
Support community-based organizations leading the fight for housing justice:
UNIDAD Coalition: A coalition of local organizations working to advance equitable development and prevent displacement in South Central Los Angeles.
Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE): A long-standing nonprofit advocating for tenants’ rights, healthy housing, and community-led planning.
Demand transparency and accountability from USC:
Contact President Carol Folt and the USC Board of Trustees (email: email hidden; JavaScript is required) and urge them to negotiate a new, binding Community Benefits Agreement that includes affordable housing, local hiring, and anti-displacement protections for longtime residents.
Participate in public decision-making:
LA City Planning Commission meetings are open to the public and accept comments on proposed development projects. Agendas and schedules are posted here, and public comment is typically held at the end of each meeting. Speakers can sign up online or in person.
For matters involving USC development, community members can also submit concerns to the USC Real Estate and Asset Management Office and request transparency around land use decisions.
Advocate for stronger housing policies:
Call on your city councilmember to strengthen tenant protections by closing Ellis Act loopholes, expanding just-cause eviction protections, and enforcing rent stabilization measures. You can find your city councilmember here.
South LA is not just real estate — it is a living, breathing community with rich histories and people who deserve to stay. The question is,will we allow unchecked gentrification to erase it? Or will we fight to preserve the heart of this neighborhood before it’s too late?
