2008 Woodie Awards
University should reconsider viability of adding family housing
STAFF EDITORIAL
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
AS THE UNIVERSITY of South Alabama plans to rid itself of its remaining Hillsdale properties, as a consequence, it will also rid itself of its only family-housing units.
When asked by The Vanguard in an interview earlier this year about the soon-to-be-absent family housing, President Moulton commented that the University had no plans to build new family housing units.
The reasons he gave made sense: First off, university-based rental properties are not always the best or most efficient business model for campus housing. The current model being embraced by the most forward-thinking universities seems to be one where private businesses and the University partner to build on-campus housing.
The second reason Moulton gave was the fact is that USA is not located in an area where family housing is hard to come by, such as a university located in a downtown district. Being a suburban university, USA is surrounded by family housing. Being that this is the case, there seems to be little need to build on-campus family housing units.
But one thing in this equation is being overlooked: affordability. On-campus housing is not only more convenient than near-campus housing, but generally speaking, on-campus housing units are also more affordable than near-campus housing units.
For example, USA's refurbished two-bedroom Hillsdale units are listed at $430 month, according to USA Housing Web site. It is a great challenge for any student to find a semi-comfortable two-bedroom apartment, let alone a home, within a short distance from the University for that price.
Of course, someone might respond that the homes in Hillsdale are not "semi-comfortable" due to the size of the homes and the higher-than-average crime rates in the neighborhood, but at least in "student-housing" Hillsdale, a family would find themselves in an enclave of students and like-minded families, providing a more acceptable environment for the student families than what would be provided in "non-student-housing" Hillsdale. Besides, even in the currently privately owned section of Hillsdale, it is still next to impossible to find a home of any size for around $450. Some homes in Hillsdale are listing for double that price.
And the University cannot say that it is getting rid of its family housing because of low demand. A quick call to the Hillsdale housing department would prove otherwise. Based on an informative phone call made earlier this week, a Hillsdale agent reported that there is a 17-person waiting list.
With all this in mind, it seems very reasonable to think that there is a demand for affordable and convenient on-campus family housing, in spite of the fact that USA is a suburban campus.
When asked by The Vanguard in an interview earlier this year about the soon-to-be-absent family housing, President Moulton commented that the University had no plans to build new family housing units.
The reasons he gave made sense: First off, university-based rental properties are not always the best or most efficient business model for campus housing. The current model being embraced by the most forward-thinking universities seems to be one where private businesses and the University partner to build on-campus housing.
The second reason Moulton gave was the fact is that USA is not located in an area where family housing is hard to come by, such as a university located in a downtown district. Being a suburban university, USA is surrounded by family housing. Being that this is the case, there seems to be little need to build on-campus family housing units.
But one thing in this equation is being overlooked: affordability. On-campus housing is not only more convenient than near-campus housing, but generally speaking, on-campus housing units are also more affordable than near-campus housing units.
For example, USA's refurbished two-bedroom Hillsdale units are listed at $430 month, according to USA Housing Web site. It is a great challenge for any student to find a semi-comfortable two-bedroom apartment, let alone a home, within a short distance from the University for that price.
Of course, someone might respond that the homes in Hillsdale are not "semi-comfortable" due to the size of the homes and the higher-than-average crime rates in the neighborhood, but at least in "student-housing" Hillsdale, a family would find themselves in an enclave of students and like-minded families, providing a more acceptable environment for the student families than what would be provided in "non-student-housing" Hillsdale. Besides, even in the currently privately owned section of Hillsdale, it is still next to impossible to find a home of any size for around $450. Some homes in Hillsdale are listing for double that price.
And the University cannot say that it is getting rid of its family housing because of low demand. A quick call to the Hillsdale housing department would prove otherwise. Based on an informative phone call made earlier this week, a Hillsdale agent reported that there is a 17-person waiting list.
With all this in mind, it seems very reasonable to think that there is a demand for affordable and convenient on-campus family housing, in spite of the fact that USA is a suburban campus.
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