UCSC Gets Green Light for Major Student Housing Expansion

(Rendering courtesy of UCSC/McCarthy / WRNS Studio)

The University of California Board of Regents has approved a significant new housing development on the western edge of the UC Santa Cruz campus, advancing the university's push to accommodate an ever growing student population.

The project, called Heller Student Housing South, will transform a 13-acre parcel currently occupied by Family Student Housing into a residential community for nearly 1,300 upper-division undergraduates. The site will be redeveloped in stages, with the new Family Student Housing community slated to open in the 2026–27 academic year. After opening, the existing structures will be cleared to make way for the new construction. The target opening for Heller Student Housing South is fall 2029.

The development is a cornerstone of UCSC's broader goal to grow on-campus housing by 40 percent over the next decade. The campus already houses roughly 9,300 students, about half its undergraduate population, placing it among the top UC campuses for housing availability and causing strain on the local rental ecosystem. Chancellor Cynthia Larive emphasized the importance of the project, noting that stable on-campus housing is foundational to student success.

Four buildings, ranging from five to seven stories, will rise south of the pedestrian bridge at Rachel Carson College, offering a variety of unit types including single rooms, triple studios, two- and four-bedroom apartments, and co-living suites. Amenities will include a market, multi-purpose spaces, mailroom, and laundry facilities, with nearby dining available at the expanded Rachel Carson and Oakes colleges dining hall.

The project focuses on sustainability, with all-electric buildings that will feature solar panels and a stormwater capture system for non-potable uses, with the project targeting LEED Gold certification or better.

A second phase on the northern end of the site — adding up to 1,650 additional beds is planned for a future date, which would bring the total for the Heller site to nearly 3,000 beds.

(Rendering courtesy of UCSC/McCarthy / WRNS Studio)