For Immediate Release

March 29, 2021

Press Contact: Tricia Piper-Bennett

M: 415-914-5511

E: patricia@telegraphpr.com

UC Davis Health’s Housestaff Search for the Elusive $800 Sacramento Apartment

After months of negotiating for a fair contract, Resident physicians highlight inequity between UC Davis Health CEO’s luxury condo and apartments available for $800

Sacramento- UC Davis’ Resident and Fellow physicians need a fair housing allowance to live and work in Sacramento. Without it, UC Davis Health is less competitive to attract and retain diverse doctors and people in Sacramento will suffer. 

After 18 months of contract negotiations, UC Davis Health’s administration continues to insist that $800 1-bedroom apartments exist in Sacramento for medical residents. Frustrated by their unwavering understanding of the rental market, UC Davis housestaff have gotten creative. Resident and Fellow physicians are boldly addressing the hypocrisy, sending postcards to CEO David Lubarsky which highlight the housing inequity experienced by Sacramento’s “Healthcare Heroes.”

Medical residents, so named because they used to live in the hospitals where they train, now have to incur the cost of housing, transportation, food, and basic living, while paying on average a quarter million dollars in debt. Since February last year, Sacramento rents increased another 7.5% to an average of $1,882. 

UC Davis’ housestaff deserve a housing allowance on par with their colleagues across the UC system. This allowance is a benefit that values their service to Sacramentans, and keeps them close to the hospital without risking their safety or patient care. 

The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest housestaff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 17,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.

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