“He keeps eating my freaking yogurt,” said one mansion resident.
Photo by Jordan Whitlow
Since Fall Quarter 2021, UC San Diego has faced an unprecedented housing crisis, with students scrambling to find adequate lodgings off campus. To mitigate this concern, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla proposed a novel solution: converting his mansion into an Airbnb for student renters.
The project aims to utilize the mansion’s 27 bedrooms as makeshift dorms. To maximize the amount of student housing, the only room types offered will be mini-quadruples. Khosla hopes this will allow students to form close bonds with one another “while embracing a sort of ‘tiny house’ aesthetic.” To compensate for the lack of room space, each dorm will have its own full-sized bathroom with a walk-in shower. One student resident reported, however, that the biggest perk of this new housing is the view. According to collegerenterscams.com, each dorm claims to overlook a “360° view of the ocean.” Despite this, many students’ views did not live up to this expectation. One second-year student, Cole S. Lawrence, was “especially displeased” when he looked out his window. “We totally got screwed over! I was told I would get a nice seascape panorama, but all I see is Black’s Beach! I did not go through all of this just to see nude old men whenever I look outside!”
In order to promote an active culture in the Airbnb, Khosla has added some personal touches to this housing deal. Instead of RAP passes, students will have 24/7 access to the mansion’s outdoor pool and will be offered weekly yoga and cardio workout classes with the chancellor. Khosla also curated a special meal plan, dubbed “Chancellor Coins,” which allows students to freely take or cook anything from the mansion’s industrial-sized kitchen. In place of the university’s Coffee With a Prof program, students can opt to have coffee with Khosla on his private balcony or a one-on-one breakfast buffet. “I’d like as many students as possible to experience living in communal luxury, so I’ve made this all inclusive plan generously affordable at $15,000 per quarter,” Khosla said. “I’ll even throw in amenities and utilities for free. You’ll still have to go down the street to do laundry, though.”
Khosla has reportedly considered additional ways to “extend [his] own living spaces” to students. “UC San Diego has always encouraged students to think further,” he stated. “This newfound housing solution is demonstrating that it might be time we start thinking further off campus. Specifically, into
my mansion.”
