I probably graduated around the time you started. When I was at UCLA, housing was only available to Freshman and a tiny percentage beyond Freshman year who either were RA’s or in dorm government. Many ran for election for the purpose of remaining eligible for housing. And the housing many got was forced triples in decades old rooms designed for 2, with facilities (showers, laundry, cafeterias) designed for far fewer students.
But UCLA housing is amazing since then. I visited a few years back when my daughter was there for a summer camp. They turned the entire hill into a housing mega village. And upgraded the food 10x.
As for the other UC’s now, seems like they are stuck in the middle of conflicting agendas from others. The state is pressing them to accept more students but providing no solutions for how to do so. And local residents and municipalities are pushing. back at any solution for more housing. Witness Berkeley, where the oppose both more housing on campus and off campus. Basically it’s a game of chicken between the states and the local governments with the UC’s and their students as fodder in their war.