In order to decrease the cost of living for those interning in the Santa Barbara area, UC Santa Barbara will begin offering housing in the San Joaquin Villages apartments for college-enrolled interns this summer.
The complex was chosen because of its amenities and its short distance to the dining available in Isla Vista. Devin Ralston / Daily Nexus
The new initiative allows students from any college or university with a summer job or internship in the Santa Barbara area to stay in UCSB-owned housing for the summer. The initiative was created in response to similar programs at other UC schools, such as UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley, according to Whitney Morris, director of Conference and Hospitality Services at UCSB.
“We noticed that [the program] was very successful [at other UC schools],” Morris said, “and that it was definitely fitting a need for students in the summer.”
Because subletting apartments or houses over the summer in the Santa Barbara area can be expensive for students, Morris said she and her colleagues wanted to create an affordable alternative for college students interning in the area, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled at UCSB. The San Joaquin Villages were previously used for summer camps and programs, such as for parents staying overnight for their child’s freshman orientation, and will continue to house students and parents for summer programs alongside the new intern housing.
Students in the summer Intern Housing program would live in the apartments for a 30-day minimum at a cost of $35 per night, or $1,050 a month, for a double room or $55 per night, or $1,650 a month, for a single room, according to the program’s website.
As of now, the summer Intern Housing program has one applicants and has 107 bed spaces to fill, Morris said. Participants must be at least 18 years old and provide proof of enrollment in a college or university. The program is also open to UCSB students working on campus during the summer. The application for the program opened on Feb. 3 and will close at 12 p.m. on June 1.
The San Joaquin Villages, built in 2016, are UCSB’s newest housing complex. The San Joaquin Villages were built as a part of the university’s Long Range Development Plan, an initiative to increase UCSB’s enrollment by one percent each year until 2025. The plan seeks to accommodate a total of 5,000 additional students and provide housing for all of them. The San Joaquin Villages feature 165 apartments and can house approximately 1,000 residents.
The complex was chosen for the program because of its amenities, which include a pool and volleyball courts, and its short distance to the dining options available in Isla Vista and Goleta, Morris said. She added that the apartment style of the housing would also be “great in terms of promoting communities.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the Feb. 20, 2020 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
Correction [2/20/2020, 7:45 p.m.]: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the San Joaquin Villages were previously used to house parents and their children for summer programs. This article has been corrected to reflect the fact that the San Joaquin Villages will continue to house students and parents for summer programs alongside the new intern housing.
