Campus News
Center for Economic Justice and Action launches UC-wide basic needs service locator app
The app makes it possible for users to easily locate food banks, housing assistance, financial support, medical and legal aid, transportation, and other on- and off-campus resources.
This August, the Center for Economic Justice and Action launched the University of California Basic Needs app, a service locator that helps UC students find resources at each UC campus.
Now available on the Apple App Store, the app makes it possible for users to easily locate food banks, housing assistance, financial support, medical and legal aid, transportation, and other on- and off-campus resources. The app also includes an Ask AI chat, which lets users find resources through a text-based conversation.
This work is the second iteration of the center’s basic needs directory, a project by the University of California Essential Needs Consortium, an initiative that the center leads alongside systemwide essential needs partners. With funding from the University of California Office of the President, a team of UC Santa Cruz students and center staff developed the app to help UC affiliates find up-to-date, accurate resource information in one place. Learn more about this project in the January 2026 article about the launch of the web-based directory.