Caroline Devine
Staff Writer
For those unfamiliar with Isla Vista’s (I.V.) housing scene, the idea of paying up to $20,000 a month to rent a house might sound absurd. But for many UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) students, this is simply the standard price for beachside living within biking distance of campus. I.V.’s housing crisis has been decades in the making, and the university has no jurisdiction over the land. In the 1950s, landowners designated the town as a “student-residential zoning ordinance,” allowing private development to soar, unchecked and unrestricted, while the university remained mostly silent throughout construction.
The result? Riots in the ’60s, a cost of living for students that is 69 percent above the national average, and a $3.7 million settlement between the university, Santa Barbara County and the City of Goleta meant to alleviate some of the most pressing housing issues that UCSB students face. This settlement feeds into part of the university’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), a 2010 initiative that aims to provide housing for “50 percent of total students” and mitigate some of the strain on I.V. The LDRP includes adding units to the Anacapa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa dorms as well as the construction of two new residential buildings, San Benito and Eastside Residence Hall.
In response to mounting pressure and student confusion, the university’s Rapid Rehousing Program, in partnership with the Pardall Center, released the Housing Handbook last year. This handbook is a comprehensive guide that breaks down leasing timelines, off- and on-campus housing options, and other essential resources for students navigating I.V.’s rental market, available to all through the university’s “Basic Needs” webpage.
Some, however, are taking more innovative methods to ease the crisis. An example is the Housing Helper app, a startup created by UCSB alum Damon Dvorson, who built it after experiencing the housing crisis himself while living in I.V. In an interview with The Bottom Line, he explained, “Back in my sophomore year, I ended up getting stuck with three group leases. I just turned 18 … I didn’t really realize how leases work, much less group leases.”
Originally launched as a roommate-matching tool, the app has exploded in popularity and now assists around a third of UCSB students searching for housing, according to Dvorson. Since its creation, it has pivoted its focus towards sublets and lease transfers, addressing what Dvorson believes is one of the biggest structural issues of the student renting experience: the 12-month lease. “People’s lives just don’t fit into 12-month terms,” he said. “Students waste $31 billion in rent over the summer while they’re at home or studying abroad.”
The Housing Helper app includes features such as automatically-generated sublet agreements and secure payment transfers, held until move-in is confirmed. “You don’t have to chase your subletter down for rent anymore,” Dvorson said. “We guarantee your rent gets covered.” Housing Helper also uses artificial intelligence image recognition, which allows users to view properties that have specific amenities that they desire, such as a fenced-in yard or an ocean view.
While the app isn’t officially affiliated with UCSB, Dvorson shared that they’ve been in contact with the university’s housing department, which has been eager to use the app as its primary rental platform. This has yet to pan out due to the app’s sublet-centric design, but he emphasized how supportive UCSB has been overall in making the housing process easier for students. “You can tell that they really care about the students and the housing options available to them,” he stated. Even I.V.’s leasing companies have endorsed the app, partnering with it because of its ability to streamline the sublet process for both tenants and property managers.
Still, these resources exist within a system that has been shaped by decades of neglect and limited regulation. Up-and-coming tools such as Housing Helper make it easier to manage the logistical side of renting, and the Housing Handbook assists in clarifying the process, but neither can fully undo the structural issues that have paralleled the development of I.V.. For now, students are still navigating a rental landscape that remains expensive, unpredictable, and deeply flawed.
What a fantastic article!
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