From Classrooms to Housing: LAUSD Advances 391 Homes at Former Collins Street School in Woodland Hills

Collins Street School: former campus and proposed housing. School photograph: Karol Franks. Proposed-design renderings: AC Martin.

The LAUSD school board voted October 6, 2026, to select Affirmed Housing Group/HA Builders and authorize exclusive negotiations for 391 rental apartments at the former Collins Street Elementary School site in Woodland Hills. Eligible district employees would receive a leasing preference.

The decision advances the proposal but does not authorize construction. District officials hope to bring a development agreement and ground lease back to the board by summer 2027, according to follow-up reporting in the Los Angeles Daily News.

Quick facts

Site: 5717 N. Rudnick Avenue; approximately 6.56 acres.
Apartments: 391 one-, two- and three-bedroom rentals.
Height: Five stories along Shoup Avenue, stepping down to three along Miranda Street and Rudnick Avenue.
Parking: Approximately 550 spaces.
Tentative construction: 2029–2031, subject to further approvals.

From School Campus to Employee Housing

Approved for construction in August 1959 as East of Woodlake School, the campus was initially scheduled to open in September 1960. Construction delays pushed the projected opening to January 31, 1961; a February 23, 1961, newspaper feature reported that it had opened several weeks earlier.

Collins closed on June 15, 1984, amid declining enrollment. It was part of a wider contraction: LAUSD closed 22 schools between 1982 and 1984, including 19 in the West San Fernando Valley. Lower birth rates, rising housing costs and shifts associated with desegregation shaped enrollment changes in the Valley.

LAUSD later leased the campus to Kadima Hebrew Academy of Woodland Hills under a five-year agreement approved in 1992. The school buildings were demolished in 2018.

The housing concept includes outdoor play areas, walking paths, a community room, a fitness center, a swimming pool and a daycare that could be operated by a third party.

The proposal includes 147 one-bedroom, 155 two-bedroom and 89 three-bedroom apartments, including three units for property-management staff. Eligible LAUSD employees would receive a leasing preference. The proposed income range is 30%–120% of Los Angeles County's area median income, depending on household size. Rents have not been set. Residents who later leave LAUSD could remain if they continue to meet income eligibility requirements.

LAUSD says employee housing could help recruitment and retention. SEIU Local 99, which represents many lower-paid school workers, argues that subsidized housing must be accompanied by adequate wages.

Proposed Design and LAUSD Meeting Slides

Renderings by AC Martin and slides from the LAUSD October 6, 2026 housing presentation (Board Report 060), available through the October 6 Board of Education meeting agenda. Designs, unit counts and financial terms remain subject to negotiation.

Aerial rendering of the proposed Collins housing development. Credit: AC Martin / LAUSD October 6, 2026 housing presentation.

Street-level rendering of the proposed housing development. Credit: AC Martin / LAUSD October 6, 2026 housing presentation.

Collins Site - Affirmed Housing Proposal: project overview, financing and concept schedule. Source: LAUSD housing presentation, slide 12.

Los Angeles County area median income matrix, using 2026 CTCAC maximum income levels effective May 1, 2026. These are income limits, not apartment rents. Source: LAUSD housing presentation, slide 15.

Next steps for Collins and Fairfax: negotiations, outreach, predevelopment and later board action. Collins construction is anticipated in 2029. Source: LAUSD housing presentation, slide 17.

The presentation proposes approximately $150,000 in ground-lease deposits during predevelopment and construction, followed by $250,000 annually starting in Year 1, escalating 2.5% each year. These amounts and payment terms remain subject to negotiation.

The Architect Behind the Campus

The original campus was designed by Harry T. MacDonald (1920–2013), a Los Angeles architect whose practice specialized in public schools. The school drawings used the working name East of Woodlake School.

According to MacDonald's obituary, he became a partner in Denman & MacDonald, took over the firm in 1957, and incorporated Harry T. MacDonald and Associates in 1962. He continued designing schools until retiring in 1986. Harry and his wife, Della, contributed nearly $4 million to USC and its School of Architecture; the university recognizes their legacy through the Della and Harry MacDonald Dean's Chair in Architecture.

Neighborhood Concerns and Next Steps

Some neighbors have raised concerns about traffic, parking, building height and construction noise near the Woodland Hills Recreation Center. LAUSD held two community meetings in summer 2025. The selected developer will now conduct additional outreach with district support.

Affirmed would seek affordable-housing tax credits and other public subsidies to finance the project. LAUSD says the proposed arrangement would require no district subsidy, guarantee or capital contribution and would have no General Fund impact.

During exclusive negotiations, the team will conduct due diligence and refine the design, parking and financial terms. LAUSD would retain the land, while the developer would operate and maintain the housing. Construction is tentatively scheduled for summer 2029 through summer 2031, subject to negotiations and later board approval.