Student Housing Cooperatives
Isla Vista is host to five student housing cooperatives that are a part of the larger Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative. The purpose of the Santa Barbara Student Housing coop is to provide low rent cooperative housing for student, staff, and faculty of UC Santa Barbara regardless of gender, race, social, political, or religious affiliation, and thereby influencing the community to eliminate prejudice and discrimination.
Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative Office
777 Camino Pescadero, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Email: info@sbcoop.org
Contact No: 805-685-6964
Website: Santa Barbara Student Housing Cooperative
Biko Housing Cooperative
Biko’s theme provides a safe, respectful space for people of color in a predominantly white campus community.
“Named after Stephen Bantu Biko, founder and martyr of the anti-apartheid Black Consciousness movement in South Africa, Biko is SBSHC’s “People of Color” co-op. The Biko house takes on the responsibility of maintaining a safe, respectful space for people of color in a predominantly white campus community, as well as spreading awareness about racial equality, social justice, anti-oppression, cultural awareness, social movements, and the need for intersectionality within the Isla Vista community and beyond. The 18 members of Biko house share twelve bedrooms and six bathrooms. The kitchen is large and spacious, with industrial-strength cooking facilities and a stocked pantry. The House and Board charges cover gas, electricity, water, trash, laundry, internet, and a meal plan. The garage space out front functions as an all-purpose community space, or info-shop, that is open for organization meetings, musical and dance performances, art exhibitions, and workshops. The Biko Infoshop is run by donation only, and is run and operated by house members.” – SB-Coop
6612 Sueno Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Dolores Housing Cooperative
Dolores offers vegan and vegetarian meal plans featuring locally sourced produce and goods from the Isla Vista Food Co-op.
“Dolores House, formerly, “Dashain,” is our vegetarian / vegan house, named for social justice activist Dolores Huerta. The house strives to be ethical and environmentally friendly in its consumption, and buys organic produce from the local food cooperative and farmers’ markets. Dolores maintains its own garden space out back, where its 15 residents can watch the sunset, build a bonfire, harvest homegrown veggies, and enjoy the ocean breeze. The kitchen, always warm and inviting, is a gathering place for Doloreans, food boarders, and friends — on a typical afternoon, you might find people listening to music, playing board games, or cooking a delicious vegan meal. The house has nine bedrooms and three bathrooms. The House and Board charges cover water, trash, electricity, gas, internet, laundry, and a vegetarian meal plan.” – SB-Coop
6719 Sabado Tarde Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Manley Housing Cooperative
Residents of Manley house participate in a meal plan with both meat and vegetarian/vegan options.
“Manley House, our first communal house, is home to 17 members who love their 3 avocado trees, one loquat tree, and passionfruit vine. They also enjoy their handmade swinging bench, comfy hammock, solar panels, annual prom, and built-in movie projector. Manley has eleven bedrooms in two separate units. Three bedrooms are located upstairs, where there is a large deck with plentiful sun and great views. Downstairs there are eight bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining room, tool shed, and study room. The House and Board charges cover electricity, gas, water, trash, laundry, cable internet, and a meal plan. The house is named after Steven Manley, who died August 15, 1979, battling a brush wildfire near Santa Maria. He was 21 years old and a Junior Environmental Studies Major at UCSB, working the summer as a firefighter with the California Division of Forestry.” – SB-Coop
732 Embarcadero Del Norte Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Merton Housing Cooperative
The Thomas Merton interfaith cooperative house provides a neutral location for productive and challenging dialogues between representatives of groups often considered adversarial.
“Named after Thomas Merton, a Catholic priest who advocated for interfaith understanding and social justice, Merton is the Interfaith-themed house. The Interfaith theme serves as a legacy to the building’s previous and only owner, the University Religious Conference, which had existed for several decades and used the location for many years as a vibrant meeting space for student community life and interfaith dialogue and cooperation. In continuation of this work, the Interfaith theme encompasses similar interests ranging from interfaith education to activism for social change.
In the Upstairs, Merton is home to eighteen Mertonians who occupy twelve bedrooms along with a shared kitchen, living room, and large communal bathroom. In the Downstairs, Merton houses the SBSHC Central Office, board/meeting rooms, a mini library, and an auditorium, which is used for social gatherings. In addition, Merton maintains a garden outside for food consumption. The house and board charges cover electricity, gas, water, trash, laundry, internet, and a meal plan.” – SB-Coop
777 Camino Pescadero Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Newman Housing Cooperative
The homemade fire pit in front, worm bin composting system, and mural painting projects on the Newman’s doors and walls, allows members to be creative and communal.
“Although Newman has nine separate apartments (six two-bedroom/one-bath units and three studios), Newman feels like a community. There is no meal plan for the Newman building but some members participate in optional potlucks. The fire pit in front, gardens and composting system, and mural painting projects on Newman’s walls, allows members to be creative and communal. But if that’s not your thing, there are enough private space in Newman to make it what you want it to be. The House charge for Newman’s 27-30 residents covers laundry, parking, water, trash, gas, electricity and cable internet. Newman House is named after Patti Newman, significant contributor and driving force behind the creation of the Santa Barbara Housing Co-op.” – SB-Coop
6503 Madrid Rd. Isla Vista, CA