The Problem
UC Santa Cruz is located in one of the most expensive housing markets in the United States, and the city’s housing shortage is making it increasingly difficult for students to afford to live near campus.

Research shows that nearly 44% of UC Santa Cruz students experience extreme rent burden, meaning they spend more than 70% of their income on rent. Some students compete for limited spots in the university’s trailer park simply to secure stable housing. Others are forced into overcrowded housing, long commutes, or unconventional living situations just to remain enrolled.

For many students—especially those from lower-income backgrounds—housing costs are no longer just an inconvenience. They are determining whether students can attend or remain at the university at all.

A Community-Wide Crisis
The housing crisis affects not only students but the broader Santa Cruz community. Local housing research shows that Santa Cruz ranks among the least affordable cities for renters in the United States, with wages far below what is required to afford typical rental units.

As rents increase and housing supply remains limited, both students and long-term residents are forced to compete for the same small number of rental units. This leads to overcrowding, forced moves, and growing housing instability across the region.

Why This Is Happening
Housing decisions in Santa Cruz are made by two separate institutions:

UC Santa Cruz, which controls enrollment growth and campus housing development
The City of Santa Cruz, which controls zoning and local housing policy
When these decisions happen independently, the result is a widening gap between the number of students who need housing and the housing that actually exists.

Students and residents are left to absorb the consequences of this disconnect.

Our Demand
To address this crisis, UC Santa Cruz and the City of Santa Cruz must work together.

We call on both institutions to create a formal Joint Student Housing Plan that includes:

Coordinated housing development between the university and the city
Housing targets tied directly to university enrollment growth
Expanded student-oriented housing options near campus
Annual public reporting on housing availability and rent burden
Why This Matters
Access to higher education should not depend on whether a student can afford one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.

When housing costs determine who can attend or remain enrolled at a public university, the promise of higher education as a pathway to opportunity is weakened.

By working together to expand housing and reduce rent burdens, UC Santa Cruz and the City of Santa Cruz can help ensure that students have both a place to live and a fair chance to succeed.

Sign This Petition
Students should not have to choose between getting an education and having a place to live.

Sign this petition to call on UC Santa Cruz and the City of Santa Cruz to create a Joint Student Housing Plan that protects students and supports the entire Santa Cruz community.