Throughout the summer, Associated Students’ 2025-26 External Vice President of Local Affairs E.J. Raad prepared for the upcoming academic year, during which he hopes to improve basic needs for students by streamlining the housing process and expanding services in Isla Vista.
Raad spent his summer hiring his staff and developing the “rate my landlord” project. Sherine John / Daily Nexus
The External Vice President of Local Affairs (EVPLA) serves as a liaison between the Associated Students (A.S.) and the Santa Barbara County (SBC) Board of Supervisors, where he represents the student body concerning local affairs and addresses systemic issues present within Isla Vista, such as the housing crisis.
Raad, a third-year political science major, primarily spent the first half of his summer hiring his staff of 10 people, who promptly began working on a variety of initiatives. He and fourth-year political science major Shane Stewart, the EVPLA’s housing coordinator, have begun to develop the Rate My Landlord project that Raad conceptualized while running for the position.
The Rate My Landlord website would allow students to leave reviews on particular landlords and property managers, similar to Rate My Professors. Raad and his team will develop the website throughout the fall quarter, with an estimated launch date in winter quarter.
“It kind of solves this big problem in I.V., where a lot of the time you don’t even see the property you’re moving into before you move into it, because there’s someone living there. And the way the leases start and end is a little weird, and so that way you can actually get a decent idea of what you’re going into,” Raad said.
Raad will continue hosting sexually transmitted infection (STI) “screen-a-thons” at the Pardall Center, along with expanding the services to include a recurring “immunization clinic” where students can receive vaccinations for the flu or COVID-19, which he hopes will be available by the end of October.
He also expressed aspirations of further expanding the Pardall Center to include dental care for students, which he hopes will be operational by the winter or spring. In regards to the immunization clinic and dental care through the Pardall Center, Raad said he’s “not exactly sure” whether these services will be free or not. However, he said if there were a fee, it would be “very low” and cheaper than other places, including Student Health on campus.
Raad spoke on the importance of the Pardall Center, as it serves as “A.S.’s presence in I.V,” and the greater role of A.S. in alleviating student issues.
“I think it’s the coolest thing ever, and having [Pardall Center] as this space in Isla Vista where we can distribute services is my number one goal.”
Another project Raad’s office is working on is the “I.V. Green Project,” which would expand UC Santa Barbara Sustainability’s “Gardening 101 for Indoor Spaces” workshop. While the project is still very early in development, Raad explained the program would teach students basic planting and gardening skills.
He also spoke on expanding the A.S. Marketplace where students will be able to submit designs for UCSB-themed merchandise. Students will then vote for their favorites, with the top-voted design being turned into merchandise. Raad plans to have the student-designed apparel available by January, in time for the UCSB basketball game against California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.
“I know a lot of students like some of the Isla Vista-themed merch that [Island View] Outfitters sells. So being able to have students design their own merchandise and have them vote on it and decide what they think is cool, I think it’s a super fun idea,” Raad said.
Regarding the University of California in Isla Vista (UCIV), a non-police affiliated organization of student representatives who oversee aid stations on Del Playa Drive and El Embarcadero Road on Friday and Saturday nights, Raad said he hopes to expand the aid further north, closer to El Colegio Road. He said his office is still deciding if they want to place a physical tent there or have UCIV staff members patrol the area.
One of Raad’s platform points he ran on during his campaign was to provide water filters and mold kits to I.V. renters, which he plans to distribute sometime during the fall quarter.
Raad is stepping into the EVPLA role at a tumultuous time for I.V. housing, considering the Isla Vista Rental Inspection Pilot Program has been in action for the past month and is facing a lawsuit from landlords who argue it is in violation of tenants’ rights.
While he expressed concern regarding students who have signed leases for living areas that aren’t deemed appropriate, such as living in a garage, he said the SBC Board of Supervisors clarified that leasing companies were aware of this program over a year ago, and there is likely only a small number of tenants who are living in such environments. He also mentioned SBC and UCSB’s rapid rehousing program would rehouse students who are living in conditions the county deems unfit.
Raad continued by clarifying that he is supportive of the program for trying to improve the living conditions of I.V., as he is “all for having the safest possible housing for students” and that he hopes his initiatives, such as Rate My Landlord, will continue to improve housing conditions for I.V. residents.
Raad also campaigned to create a lease pre-qualifier program, which would make it easier for UCSB students to sign up for housing. Students would upload their information to a website and apply for multiple units with the same application, akin to applying for colleges through Common App. Raad said that this project is a “big undertaking” that may not be finished within his term, as they’re currently still in the planning and outlining phase of the process.
Raad has also begun preparing for Deltopia, the sanctioned street festival which traditionally takes place on the first Saturday of spring quarter. His goal for the year is to provide “the absolute most amount of non-police safety and service to students” as possible by expanding UCIV’s aid stations and staff members.
“[Deltopia’s] really a cultural event in my opinion … so I’m super in favor of making sure that that’s protected and that we can have these conversations with police by making sure that Deltopia itself is protected and making sure that we’re providing the most safety services we can,” Raad said. “We maintain and protect and preserve Deltopia, but also have it be as safe as it can be because you can have a lot of these safety measures without necessarily needing police intervention.”
Considering UCSB has just introduced its new Chancellor, Dennis Assanis, Raad sees “a lot of opportunity.” Raad will be meeting with Assanis later this month and expressed excitement toward being able to introduce many of his new initiatives to a “fresh set of eyes and ears.”
As EVPLA primarily focuses on issues within I.V., whose population is not entirely composed of UCSB students, Raad spoke about striking the balance between focusing on issues that affect UCSB students directly along with trying to improve the quality of life for all I.V. residents, whether they’re Santa Barbara City College students or families.
“We want to foster an environment where everyone’s input matters, where everyone’s voices are heard. Because we all live here. We all have these shared experiences here. We all have the good things and bad things that come with living in Isla Vista. And so that’s important to me,” Raad said.
Raad concluded by saying that, by the end of his term, he hopes to have made large improvements towards housing and policing issues in I.V.
“I think being able to leave a legacy where I actually materially improve the housing conditions of the students who live here, that would be fantastic,” Raad said. “Also leaving a legacy of improving our relationships with the police in the area, being able to foster an environment where we can have safety precautions that are non-police, where we can have a better relationship with the police, where we can have less [maximum inspiratory pressure tests], where we can have Deltopia and have it be safe, but not necessarily have to be super, super policed.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 1 of the Oct. 2, 2025 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
