UC Santa Barbara has agreed to expand student housing and pay more than $2.3 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by the City of Goleta.
The lawsuit alleged that university housing is not keeping up with the growing student population.
UC Santa Barbara, situated in Goleta, will add 3,500 new student beds by 2029 to fulfill the terms of the settlement.
“This commitment meets the City’s primary goal of the lawsuit, which was to ensure that UCSB was on track to build the necessary units within a set timeframe,” a City of Goleta press release said.
The City of Goleta will also receive $2.3 million dollars, which it plans to allocate towards a new train station and a bike and pedestrian path– both projects currently underway.
According to UCSB, apartments for 2,100 students will be finished by 2027. The housing will be located between Mesa Road and Stadium Road.
The university also reported its second installment of housing will add 1,400 additional beds. This project is set to be built by 2029.
