Welcome to The Urban Society: UCSB Housing Research Project

This site showcases student research examining housing and housing insecurity through economic, social, political, and cultural lenses, with a particular focus on Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Isla Vista.

Housing is often called the foundation of the American Dream, yet access to stable housing has never been equal. Urban Society examines housing insecurity as a structural condition, tracing how historical policies and economic forces continue to shape displacement, precarity, and exclusion today. The course pays close attention to how race, class, gender, and place determine who is exposed to housing instability, and who is not.

At the heart of the course is hands-on research. Students develop empirical questions, analyze real datasets and archival materials, and apply both quantitative and ethnographic methods to study housing conditions in their own communities. Their work culminates in a final research report, building practical skills in research design, data collection, and analysis.

Ultimately, the course asks: What would a more just and equitable housing system look like, and how do we get there?

The projects featured here were completed by students enrolled in SOC 126: Urban Society, taught by the North Hall Chair Endowed Professor of Sociology, Professor Waverly Duck, at the University of California, Santa Barbara.