Dear fellow UCSB Students and Community,

The California State Legislature is slashing the UC's budget in order to mitigate the current "budget crisis." In response, the UC Regents have mandated a cut to freshmen enrollment by 2,300, student fees will likely increase (while UCSB workers make poverty wages), and UCSB is being forced to make cuts of its own.

A lot of these cuts have fallen disproportionately on student services that are necessary to our student lives and well-being, such as EOP, CLAS, and Student Health. Additionally, the university may increase an administrative support tax imposed on our student lock-ins- fees whose amounts and allocations (to A.S., RecSports and other essential campus services) were voted in and designated by students in campus elections. The university wants to tax our self-tax- the money over which students DO have control!

ALL of the above will adversely affect the diversity and well-being of UCSB students and, in turn, the entire campus community. Without these services, students would not be at UCSB.

We, students, have a right to decide and know where our taxes, fees and lock-ins are going. Moreover, students should not bear the burden of this financial crisis. Despite these hard economic times, the governor, the state legislature, and especially our school administrators must invest in our future rather than compromise it. This is something we definitely cannot afford. Don't cut us out!

In Solidarity,
A Concerned Group of Student Leaders at UCSB

Become informed on the relevant propositions on the June ballot and on the candidates running for 3rd District Supervisor. Come learn what you should do to maximize your security deposit reutrn. FREE Dinner and Prizes including 20 free Move-In/Out Videos.

A missed paycheck, a health crisis, or an unpaid bill are all that separate many people from homelessness. As America's income gap widen's, renters worry if they can ever buy homes of their own - or keep their rentals through retirement. The lack of affordable housing is not just a U.S. problem. We Shall Not Be Moved uses domestic and international posters to show that homelessness issues and gentrification are major issues throughout the world. Join the MCC and IVTU in commemorating the one year anniversary of the Cedarwood Apartment evictions with this timely exhibit.
Opening reception Tuesday, Oct. 30th 5pm Multicultral Center Meeting Rooms. Food and speakers including IVTU founder Marisol Moreno.

Conquest Student Housing, the same business that attracted protests last year when it evicted several low-income families in Isla Vista, has become the center of controversy once again, this time in Los Angeles, where the company received a lawsuit from the University of Southern California for its allegedly illegal business practices. click here.

According to The California Landlord's Law Book: Rights & Responsibilities (David Brown, 2007), a landlord cannot charge a tenant for administrative costs in the security deposit. Landlords are supposed to cover these overhead expenses through rent payments. Yet Wolfe and Associates currently adds a 10-15% administrative charge to all deductions that are made from security deposits to cover their overhead costs.

In August 2006, Conquest Student Housing evicted 55 families and long-time Isla Vista residents of the Cedarwood apartments (now renamed Coronado) from their homes to pave way for high-priced student housing. For the tenants, who are mostly low-income Hispanic families, the evictions meant relocation from a place they and their children have called home for the greater part of a decade.

The Isla Vista Tenants Union (IVTU) is an organization serving the interests of Isla Vista tenants. We recognize the diversity of our community, and we strive to meet the different needs of our members while uniting our common interests as tenants. We educate tenants on their rights and responsibilities, and we act as a resource when problems occur. We believe people should live without the suffering that arises from discrimination, retaliation, or neglect. We reach out to property managers, the University, elected officials, local groups and individuals to realize our vision and address pressing tenant issues. In providing a service to the tenants of Isla Vista, we also hope to build a united, educated, and proactive community.