The University of California Board of Regents approved the purchase of a $7.8 million residence for UC Santa Barbara chancellors during a closed session on Oct. 23. The property is off campus, straying from the majority of UCs, which have chancellor residences on campus.
Current and future chancellors will utilize the recently-purchased property. Photo Courtesy of the University of Delaware
According to The Current, the property is located 10 minutes from UCSB and is fully funded by University donors. Regents Policy 7708 mandates that UC chancellors live in University-provided housing as a condition of the role, requiring their approval for alternatives when needed.
In March 2025, an independent engineering assessment of the current UCSB University House, where former Chancellor Henry T. Yang resided, found that it needed an estimated $8.4 million in upgrades and code compliance upgrades. Construction would take an estimated two years and included reinforcements for earthquakes and the “modernization” of its plumbing and electrical systems.
The address will not be made public, according to Stett Holbrook, the associate director of strategic & critical communications for the UC Office of the President. Local news outlet Noozhawk reported that the UC Regents purchased a property at 4672 Via Roblada in Santa Barbara’s Hope Ranch community on Oct. 28.
“The new property also provides the chancellor a venue for extending official hospitality to important visitors and guests in conjunction with official functions and fundraising activities,” the Current article read. “Going forward, the campus will be exploring other possible uses for the existing University House site.”
A version of this article appeared on p.1 of the Nov. 20 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
