Anjali Dalal-Whelan / News Editor

For college students, finding housing, reasonable rent prices and communicating with landlords can be a new and difficult experience. After the two-year requirement of living on-campus, many USD juniors and seniors shift to off-campus houses and apartments. Two apartment buildings “the carl,” located on Riley St. and “the carl on Lauretta,” located on Mollie St., house many USD students, within a walkable distance to campus. However, this semester, students have experienced issues in the newly built apartment: “the carl on Lauretta.” 

This summer, some USD students who leased independently of USD were scheduled to move into the newly developed building “the carl on Lauretta.” However, the initial move-in date they were promised of July 11, was pushed back multiple times, until the end of August — leaving them to rely on their friends and family for housing, students said. 

USD senior Olivia Wiley explained her annoyance with the delayed move-in.
“It was really frustrating because I was staying with my friends for almost two months extra, which is crazy,” Wiley said. 

A series of emails from Edward Gomez, then Leasing Manager of “the carl on Lauretta” and Sam Nucum, the Assistant Director of Operations and Acquisitions at Southwest Equity Partners, sent residents emails delaying the move in time over the summer. 

In an email, Nucum updated residents about these delays on their new move-in day.

“Due to unforeseen challenges during the construction process including elevator and fire alarm inspection delays, we are writing to provide you with an update on the new tentative move-in date.” The email acknowledged the inconvenience created for residents. “We recognize the frustration and inconvenience that arise from such delays.”

Aug. 24, Nucum indicated to residents she was uncertain if move-in would take place. 

“The city is contacting ownership tomorrow morning for a walkthrough before we are handed our certificate.” 

The next day, Aug. 25, Edward Gomez informed residents by email that they could move in, starting at 11 a.m. Residents received this email at 11:03 a.m. This email also noted that shower doors hadn’t yet been installed. 

“We’ve received the green light to move everyone into the Carl on Lauretta today at 11 AM. A warm welcome awaits,”  Edward Gomez said in an email. 

After move-in day was delayed almost two months, USD senior Ashely Sutton said that, when she actually moved in, the construction appeared rushed.

“When I walked into my room, people were still fixing the Wi-Fi, doing final touches like setting up the AC and there were construction marks left in our bathroom and our hallways. It was dusty everywhere. So we had to clean that ourselves. And it was very last minute.” She also noted that the elevator in the building has never been functioning since their move-in.  

Despite the issues moving in, USD senior Elle Kallsen was happy with the apartment when she moved in. 

“The apartment itself seems like it was rushed a little, but it’s still a great place to live, and for college students it’s perfect. I wouldn’t say it’s any more structurally different than on-campus housing,” Kallsen said.

However, on  Sept. 22,  residents received a notice from the City of San Diego Code Enforcement Division — on their units’ front doors. 

Nucum emailed residents the next day:

“If you happen to find a notice on your door dated Friday 9/22/2023, please disregard it. We have already contacted the relevant parties and confirmed the information on the notice is not accurate,” which led to confusion and concern from some residents about the correct course of action for them to take. 

Then, on Oct. 13 residents received another notice which said they were required to “immediately vacate.” This notice said that tenants had to vacate, “until a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) or Temporary CO had been issued and all required inspections have been received and passed final inspections.”

This notice posted by San Diego Code Enforcement also identified “the carl on Lauretta” building’s owner as “The Mogaford Capital Group, LLC.” According to Bizapedia, USD alum Michael Crawford is the “Chief Executive Officer” and “Manager” at the Mogaford Capital Group LLC. Also, Opencorporates.com identifies Crawford as the “agent” of Mogaford Capital Group LLC, with the same registered company address as the one written on the City’s notice to vacate.  

According to a 2022 article posted by USD News Center entitled “Hard Work Works,” “the carl” buildings were developed by “Crawford Design and Development” and the USD alum Dr. Michael Crawford. The new “the carl on Lauretta” was finished earlier this year and has 14 apartment units, according to the building website, https://thecarlsd.com. Crawford is also currently an adjunct professor of psychology at Point Loma University. 

 Last semester on May 11, 2023, the USD Vista printed an ad in Volume 60 Issue 22, for “the carl on Lauretta.”

The USD Vista made two attempts to contact Dr. Michael Crawford via email, and has not received a response, as of Nov. 7. The USD Vista has also not received a response from any emails associated with “the carl” and listed on their advertisements and website.Since the initial notice to vacate on Sept. 22, residents of “the carl on Lauretta” have received a total of three rounds of messages to vacate from the City of San Diego, but Nucum repeatedly told occupants they didn’t need to move out immediately, including in an email dated Oct. 6: 

“It had come to our notice that the city mistakenly sent out a notice to our residents, indicating a potential issue or requirement that does not apply to our community,” Nucum stated in the email.

Then, on Oct. 16, Nucum informed residents that they had not been able to contact the property owner of “the carl on Lauretta” about the ongoing issues: 

“We have made multiple attempts over the last several days to contact the property owner, to no avail,” Nucum wrote.

Sutton, a student living at “the carl on Lauretta,” explained the confusion she experienced with conflicting messages from the city and the building’s management. 

 “According to the management company, we don’t have anything to worry about. So I try not to stress too much about that. But, you get these official documents from the city and you’re kind of like, ‘are we in the wrong right now?’ I’m just gonna keep living here.”

The USD Vista also contacted the City of San Diego Development Services Department on Nov.  7, at the number listed on the notice. The department said they could not provide more information on the issues at “the carl on Lauretta,” because it had been moved to the Nuisance Abatement Unit.  

 The carl’s website states that “the carl is designed by USD alumni for University students. We believe that providing the best all-inclusive student housing in a stress-free environment will help you achieve your most successful academic career.” 

However, Wiley explained how the notices to vacate have impacted her stress. 

“It’s definitely stressful, because if we get kicked out, then we don’t have anywhere to live. Hopefully our friends or family would help us out, but other than that, if you don’t have those resources, then where are you going to live?”

According to Elena Gomez, USD’s Associate Director of Media Relations, no USD students were housed off-campus at “the carl on Lauretta” directly by USD Housing; however some students were housed by USD in other buildings affiliated with ‘the carl’ this semester, and they have since been moved out by USD.

Elena Gomez described the three buildings and USD’s partnership with “the carl.” 

 “USD’s master lease with ‘the carl’ included three properties under the same owner, [on] Mollie Street, [on] Riley Street, [and on] Lauretta Street. The new building is [actually] on Mollie Street and is referred to as ‘the carl on Lauretta.’ USD did not assign any students to live in ‘the carl on Lauretta’ ([located on] Mollie Street), but some students may have taken a lease out directly with the management company.”

Students like Sutton and Kallsen are examples of students leased with “the carl on Lauretta” independently of USD.

At an ASG Senate meeting on Oct. 26, Vice President of Student Affairs Charlotte Johnson commented on USD’s partnership with “the carl.” A recording of the full Senate meeting can be found on ASG’s YouTube channel, “USD ASG.”

“Given the housing crunch that we were experiencing in the summer, we knew we were going to be experiencing in the fall, we did enter a partnership with ‘the carl’,” Johnson said. 

Johnson also explained that USD has since found an issue with “the carl” which caused them to require the students housed in these buildings through USD to move out. 

“‘The carl’ is owned by a USD alumni,” Johnson said. “We had 16 students in a building recently that we discovered and we were concerned with the safety issues… We requested that those students move to Pacific Ridge, because we were concerned about those safety measures… We thought it was the best thing to do for our students until ‘the carl’ is able to resolve some of the issues it has with the City of San Diego.”  

Elena Gomez did not have additional information about the specific circumstances that required students housed by USD at ‘the carl’ locations to move out.

While the students who leased with the “the carl on Lauretta” independently of USD Housing were not moved out by USD, Elena Gomez stated that, if they needed assistance with housing, USD would be there to help: 

 “USD will always offer support for students who face housing issues and work to accommodate them while ensuring the least amount of disruptions,” Gomez wrote. 

Some students who are leased with “the carl on Lauretta” independently from USD, still have not moved out — despite the notices from the city. These independently-leased students continue to wait on answers from the building’s owner, management or the City of San Diego for their next course of action. 

Photo Courtesy: A building near campus called ‘the carl on Lauretta’ houses some USD students who are leased independently of USD.
Lili Kim/The USD Vista