Housing Access

Student Researchers deserve affordable, safe, and secure housing. Unfortunately, UC fails to provide this for many, and SRs face high levels of rent burden in both campus housing and the private market. UC has attempted to raise rents in student housing during the pandemic, and the return to in-person instruction has left thousands of students struggling to find housing. But UAW members are already organizing for affordable housing, and SRU can significantly strengthen that movement.

There is currently no rent control in University Housing and UC unilaterally decides rental rates and housing conditions. With a union, we can bargain for the means to better afford housing through wage increases, Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA), on-campus rent reductions, and supplements for Academic Workers renting in the private market. We can also coordinate with other union locals to increase the availability of affordable, quality housing through legislative and political action.

As one of the largest landlords and the largest employer in California, UC is a major gatekeeper of development and is highly influential in developing policy that affects not only Student Researchers, but renters across California, the majority of whom are “rent burdened.” So UC worker organizing has an important role to play in addressing the housing crisis at large and winning affordable housing for all.

Student Researchers march along with other renters at UCSD against rent hikes, Friday, March 19, 2021