Quick Take
Almost two months after UC Santa Cruz Family Student Housing residents demanded that the university address housing conditions and waive a rent increase, housing officials said they will provide a one-time credit toward rent but won’t rescind the annual increase. They also say they're changing how they respond to maintenance requests.
After Family Student Housing residents at UC Santa Cruz asked administrators to waive a rent increase and address substandard conditions such as pervasive mold, housing officials are offering a new, streamlined maintenance system and a one-time credit of $200 for two months of rent, but will not waive the increase for the rest of the year.
Resident LuLing Osofsky, who has been a leading advocate, said she’s happy that the university has heard their concerns, detailed in a Lookout investigation published Aug. 19, but has mixed feelings.
“I felt mixed,” she said. “On the upside, I felt the email demonstrated that [UCSC administrator Laura] Arroyo genuinely listened to us and took our demands seriously, and made a systematic effort to address them. … I’m very disappointed that they did not reverse the rent increase.”
On Aug. 1, Osofsky and another resident met with Arroyo, new associate vice chancellor of housing services, and other administrators. They presented data on residents experiencing mold, pest and other issues and demanded that the university waive a $65-per-month rent increase in light of the conditions.
Their demands come about a year before a new Family Student Housing complex and child care center is scheduled to open in fall 2025. Family Student Housing residents on campus will move to the new location, and the existing apartments will be demolished to make way for new undergraduate apartments. Both projects are part of UCSC’s Student Housing West project.
Arroyo responded to the residents in a Sept. 20 email describing the work that has already been implemented and what the university is continuing to do to address their concerns. Since starting on the job in July, she wrote in the email, she’s been meeting with students and staff to understand their needs, toured units in the complex and has been responding to requests.
“In good faith for the delay you received as I reviewed FSH concerns, primary residents who signed new leases starting in July 2024 will be provided a credit of $200 to offset rent increases for the months of July and August,” she wrote. “Affordable housing continues to be our priority. While rent costs continue to rise nationally, current FSH rates are still significantly below the Santa Cruz housing market and third lowest in the [University of California] system.”
Arroyo said that residents who use dehumidifiers and air purifiers provided by the university will get a monthly $25 credit for energy costs.
Additionally, regarding maintenance concerns, Arroyo said the university’s Colleges, Housing and Educational Services (CHES) office started a Family Student Housing Facilities Task Force to respond to maintenance requests, called CruzFix work orders, “in a timely manner.”
Arroyo said work orders that mention mold and mildew will be prioritized for immediate attention, and reports of pests and termites are being “reviewed currently with response support for emergency needs.”
In addition, the facilities staff will check apartment windows for needs of caulking and repair, and anyone needing an air purifier can request one through the Family Student Housing office. The residents can also request dehumidifiers through the CruzFix system.
“External grounds are being reviewed with careful attention paid to safety and upkeep,” Arroyo wrote, in response to residents’ concerns about infrastructure outside of the apartments, like exposed nails and falling retaining walls.
The university will also provide education and training to residents about mold prevention, and about the presence of lead paint and asbestos in the aging buildings.
Residents also requested that more information be provided about the new Family Student Housing complex, including expected rental rates. Arroyo said the rates are still not available and that UCSC will share them with residents once they’re established.
Arroyo said Family Student Housing residents are invited to a virtual town hall to discuss the issues in greater detail on Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 7 p.m.
“I hope the information in this letter helps to address needs and concerns identified by you and your fellow residents,” she wrote. “Thank you for your patience as these pathways forward have been determined. Your needs are, and will continue, to be my priority.”
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