With California’s rental market still tight, UC students struggle to find housing

Nazrawi Allen is about to begin his fourth year at the University of California, Santa Barbara, but he — like thousands of other students in the UC system — doesn’t yet have a place to live.

He is among hundreds of UC Santa Barbara students on the campus dorm waiting list, and as for living off campus, “that option is pretty much out the window,” says Allen. He’s looked for a place in Isla Vista, the neighborhood where the campus is located, but available off-campus housing is virtually nonexistent. The few apartments that are accepting applicants are far out of Allen’s price range.