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Okamura serves as the external vice president for USAC.

By Evan Okamura

When your Undergraduate Student Association Council had their retreat this summer, we collectively sat down and discussed what areas we wanted to address in order to improve the lives of our fellow students. Together, we came up with “Access to Education” as our over-arching theme. One of the three subpoints was providing direct services to students and to advocate on behalf of the concerns of the student body.

Housing has been a constant concern, especially in light of Tidal Wave II – which is expected to bring 4,000 more students into UCLA in the next 10 years. It is one of the main foci of this year’s council, as it directly relates to access to education.

The astronomical cost of apartments in Westwood has driven many students farther away from campus to reside in less proximate areas like Palms or Santa Monica. Living far away proves to be a huge inconvenience to students, especially due to the large number of students who don’t receive parking permits. This results in more time spent commuting and being late due to bus schedules and traffic.

Internal vice president Kennisha Austin, myself, and our respective staffs are running a housing campaign to address many concerns that have not previously been successfully addressed. There are four main goals of our housing program.

1. To increase the affordability of housing.

2. Improving the quality of housing.

3. Promote student rights.

4. Ensure that the student voice is a part of the process.

Currently, housing is classified by the UC system as an auxiliary, or self-supporting service. As such, the university is not responsible for helping to construct, maintain, or assist Westwood housing complexes in any way. We seek to change the classification of housing from auxiliary to university supported, where the university would be required to take part in the fiduciary aspects mentioned above. We have already begun working with the UC Regents, statewide legislators, and the UCLA administration, since we know that these bodies have the power to make our goal a reality.

Ever wondered why the price of a two bedroom, two bath apartment in Westwood can increase from $1500 to $2500 (67 percent!) in only one year? The answer is the absence of rent control. Rent control is a policy in many surrounding cities, such as Brentwood, that sets a limit (in percentage) of how much the housing price for a type of room (i.e. one bed, one bath) can increase from one year to the next. Rent control is a policy that can be very beneficial to UCLA students, as it prevents owners from exploiting students who must live close to campus at any cost.

The EVP and IVP task force is compiling a database of rent control policies in surrounding areas, as well as those around other campuses, such as UC Berkeley. After compiling our database, we will draft a proposal for Westwood that will be submitted to the city’s council.

In addition, we are closely following the progress of AB 1611, which provides private higher education institutions within the state an additional means to expand, enlarge and establish dormitory, academic and related facilities. The bill also helps such institutions finance those facilities and refinance existing facilities. It also provides private and public higher education institutions within the state an additional means to assist students in financing their costs of attendance.

This bill was signed into law by Gov. Davis and will provide $24 million in assistance to UCs and CSUs. This much-needed money could definitely help improve the quality of housing. The details of the allocation are currently being worked out, but the EVP Office and the University of California Students Association are ensuring student input is included in the discussion.

In terms of promoting student rights, on February 25, the EVP and IVP task force will be holding a housing summit in Westwood Plaza. Here, we will be bringing in tenant rights groups, representatives from affordable and proximate housing buildings, and will provide informational brochures that will aid in “the apartment search.”

The brochure, which is still being drafted, will provide tips for things to be cautious of when looking for an apartment, as well as the legal implications of signing into a contract.

These are just some of the things we are working on in regards to off-campus housing. However, we are missing one vital ingredient: you, the students! We invite your voices in participation and hope you will contribute to this important effort.