From the Archives: VRA has been fighting rent hikes since 2002!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 11/05/2002

After three months of intensive collaboration with the VRA, the UC Village residents have challenged the University to address its failure to attract and retain students with families. For months, we've been asking: Who does the University want to live in graduate student housing, and what will it do to keep our families here? Countless families have been forced to move out of the village due to recent rent hikes. Many more have to plan to leave by next year. It is time to stop waiting for an answer that never comes. The University is not taking our interest in affordable housing seriously.

Hence, the petition drive. As a result of your efforts, we have collected over 500 signatures from the residents of UC Village and Smythe-Fernwald! We have presented these signatures along with a letter to the UC Regents and UCB administration.

Our demands are simple. The University must adopt the following measures to provide for and maintain affordable housing for its students in a fair and equitable manner by

• Confirming in writing that the current year's rental price will not exceed 2% from previous year's rental rates.
• Confirming in writing that future rental price adjustments will not occur before September 1 of each year.
• Providing a separate housing rentals billing account from CARS for each student affected by U.C. Housing rental policy such that funds will not be encumbered from students' educational funds unless students are over 30 days 'past due' on rental payments.
• Providing a long-term plan prior to any future rent increases that provides for maintaining affordable student housing in concert with the State and Federal definition of affordable housing and such that the funding provides that the rental price of student housing does not exceed 50% of student household income.

To date, none of these demands have been met. Some of you will say, "I told you so…" Others want to know why we can't just stop paying rent. Let's be patient, strategic, and smart.

A very large and visible event is being planned for spring 2003 that will bring political support, media attention, and financial leverage to our cause. In the meantime, we suggest that

    1. You continue putting pressure on U.C.B. and U.C. offices by writing on their rent checks - PAID IN PROTEST - until these above demands are met by U.C.B.
    2. You consider a "Yes" Vote for Prop. 4 that has provisions (read $$$) that can be set aside to provide affordable student housing.
    3. You contact VRA representative Joanne Manson about getting involved in the direct action planned for early spring.

Committee for Affordable Student Housing and Responsible Fiscal Planning