On January 20, 2016, University of California President Janet Napolitano announced a housing initiative to support students and accommodate future enrollment growth across the UC system. This initiative accelerated the completion of existing student housing projects and initiated the planning of new developments, ultimately resulting in the addition of over 15,000 new student beds in residence halls and apartments.

As of Fall 2024, 41% of students live in UC housing, up from 35% before the initiative. Over 80% of new enrollment growth during the last 10 years has been housed by UC. Currently, there are over 16,500 beds in active projects expected to be open to students by Fall 2029. Recently, funds from the State of California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant program have supported the development of projects with 5,000 new beds.