In light of the current housing shortage for Fall Quarter 2021, student groups at UC Santa Barbara such as UC Santa Barbara for Cost of Living Adjustment — otherwise known as UCSB 4 COLA — and Organize Isla Vista are raising awareness about the housing crisis, a lack of remote learning options and the possibility of COVID-19 outbreaks as UCSB begins in-person operations for the first time since March 2020.
UCSB 4 COLA — an organization originally created to strike for liveable wages for graduate students — has pivoted its focus to organizing a response to the housing crisis with the teacher assistant union, Santa Barbara United Auto Workers (SB UAW) 2865. UCSB 4 COLA also partnered with Organize Isla Vista for a coordinated response to the housing crisis.