UC Berkeley\u2019s long-running housing crisis may finally be ending, as a wave of new construction projects is underway this year.<\/p>\n
In a Monday announcement,<\/a> the university said that this fall, it expects to finally achieve a \u201cdecade-long\u201d goal of being able to offer two years of on-campus housing to first-year students. According to UC Berkeley, the university had the lowest percentage of beds for students out of all the UC campuses in 2016<\/a> \u2014 only about 22% for undergraduate students compared to the approximately 38% systemwide average at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n This year, 9,700 undergraduate students live on campus, which is approximately 29% of its 33,000 undergrads. All the first-year students who applied for housing were able to get into the residence halls, and 90% of them live on campus, according to the university.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Bancroft-Fulton Student Housing building and the Judith E. Heumann House\u00a0were the two projects that finally put the university over the line, UC Berkeley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Construction on the Bancroft-Fulton housing complex, located on the southwest corner of the campus near Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue, started in January<\/a> earlier this year. The complex is a 23-story high-rise with 1,625 beds that include triple, double and single rooms, as well as five apartments. The residence hall is also set to have several amenities, including a fitness center, study lounges and a terrace, according to the university website. The project is expected to be complete by summer 2028 for students to use during the 2028-29 academic year.\u00a0<\/p>\n