"I reached out to all floors…"
One student described what’s happening in brutal detail:
“I have reached out to those on all floors of Porter A and these are the photos from all six floors on the showers and pipes.
A woman on the 4th floor was hospitalized and taken out on a stretcher after being diagnosed with lung disease just days after moving in.
Multiple people have reported headaches, rashes, sneezing, and respiratory issues. The RAs said this has been an ongoing problem due to how old the building is — and that years prior the same issues would arise.”Resident of Porter College
Mold, Illness, and Denial
What was initially a few complaints about damp showers in Porter A has become a full-blown health scare.
Photos from each floor show black mold streaking ceilings and pipes.
One student was hospitalized with a lung condition just days after move-in; others report headaches, rashes, coughing, and fatigue.
RAs have apparently acknowledged the problem has existed “for years.”
Some ceilings appear freshly repainted, not repaired.
Students describe trying to scrub the showers themselves, only to be told they can’t use bleach-based cleaners because “it might irritate others.”
“UM HELLO — it's the mold that's irritating us,” one resident wrote.
Bureaucratic Ping-Pong
Dozens of CruzFix tickets have been submitted, but responses range from “it’s just stains” to complete silence.
Maintenance staff say deeper testing is “not their department.”
Environmental Health hasn’t publicly addressed it.
Meanwhile, students themselves are running dehumidifiers, air filters, and fans out of pocket.
One resident summarized the frustration:
“We're told to keep it clean, but we can't clean what keeps growing back.”
Students Demand Accountability
An online petition currently seeks the institution's immediate third-party inspection, relocation of the students affected, and full transparency by UCSC Housing.
It raises one simple question:
If on the fourth day of the quarter, a student can be hospitalized, and the university's response is to paint over the problem:
what will it take for UCSC to act?
“All six floors. Every shower. Every pipe. We're just asking for a place that's safe to breathe.”
