UC Santa Barbara, Goleta and County Resolve Lawsuits: New Student Housing Agreements to Benefit Local Community

UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), the County of Santa Barbara, and the City of Goleta have settled two lawsuits related to a 2010 agreement on student housing construction. The settlements were jointly announced by the three parties. UCSB's vice chancellor, Chuck Haines, highlighted the importance of good relations with the city and county. The settlements are viewed as a community investment and will lead to beneficial capital improvements.

UCSB will make one-time payments of $3.7 million to the county and $2.3 million to the city under the settlement terms. These funds will be used for projects benefiting both the campus and local communities. UCSB has also pledged to build an additional 3,500 on-campus student beds, with the first phase of planning and design already in progress.

The university will pay each jurisdiction $500 per student if enrollment exceeds 25,500 while the 2010 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) is active. In exchange, the county and city will drop housing and enrollment-related claims under the 2010 agreement. They will not challenge future campus housing projects for the 3,500 student beds and will dismiss their ongoing lawsuits.

Second District Supervisor Laura Capps acknowledged the county's housing challenges and the impact of UCSB's struggles on the wider community. She expressed confidence in the university's commitment to advancing their housing plans and addressing impacts in Isla Vista. She also expressed optimism about the continued partnership with the university.

The city and county had filed lawsuits claiming that UCSB violated the 2010 agreement by increasing enrollment beyond the number of new student beds by more than 1,000 students. UCSB did not deny that enrollment had outpaced new beds, but disagreed that the bed shortage caused any damage to the city or county. The campus had accommodated most of the enrollment increases by converting existing on-campus housing units from double- to triple-occupancy. However, the campus couldn't build enough housing to match the unexpected increase in enrollment, leading to the lawsuits and subsequent settlements.

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