UC Santa Barbara Acquires New $7.8 Million Off-Campus Property for Chancellor’s Residence

The University of California Board of Regents has approved the purchase of an off-campus property that will be the new residence for the current and future chancellors of the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), the university announced on November 13, 2025. 

Located 10 minutes from the campus, the property was purchased for $7.8 million, with the cost being fully covered by private philanthropy, according to the statement. No state funds or student tuition dollars will be used, the university noted. 

Dr. Dennis Assanis, appointed as UCSB’s sixth chancellor earlier this year, assumed his role on September 1, 2025. He succeeded Henry T. Yang, who stepped down from his role at the end of 2024 after dedicating three decades of his life to the position. 

An independent engineering assessment in March 2025 found that the University House, which was built in 1964 to house UCSB chancellors, needed roughly $8.4 million for essential upgrades and code compliance, the university said. 

The upgrades included seismic reinforcements, plumbing, and electrical system modernization. 

The estimated construction timeline was two years and did not account for accessibility and entitlement constraints. 

University House has not undergone significant renovations since it was built, according to the statement. 

The new residence avoids the cost of leasing housing during the estimated two-year construction period. It also provides a venue for hospitality, functions, and other fundraising activities, the statement said. 

UCSB plans to explore other uses for the University House site. 

According to the University of California’s Office of the President, the University of California Board of Regents approved the acquisition of the property with a price not to exceed $8.3 million. External financing and donor funds will be used to pay off the debt incurred to purchase the property. 

Under Regents Policy 7708, chancellors must live in residences suitable for performing their roles, including hosting visitors and providing official hospitality, the UC Office of the President said in a statement.

Two on-campus facilities, the University House and the Centennial House, had served as the UCSB chancellor’s residence until earlier this year. The March 2025 engineering assessment found that renovating these two properties would cost $8.4 million.

In May 2025, the Regents approved a plan to lease an unspecified off-campus property pending the completion of renovations to the University House. The campus has since decided that the University House, which totals nearly one acre, is better suited for other uses, such as additional student housing. 

Existing undergraduate housing is located adjacent to the site. 

Acquiring a new property for the chancellor’s residence was a better option as it eliminates the long-term leasing expenses and frees up the on-campus land for other uses, according to the statement. 

Given Santa Barbara’s strong real estate market, the investment is expected to appreciate in value, making it a financially viable decision, the statement added.