2008 Woodie Awards
Hillsdale evictions are unfair
Patrick Senn
Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Opinion
According to the USA Central Housing Office, the people living in the University-owned Hillsdale houses were recently notified that they needed to make other arrangements for housing. Most of these were students, some with families, who had been living there for sometime. Also according to University employees I spoke with in the Central Housing Office, there are no plans to build anything on the majority of the lots that are being vacated, but instead this was an arbitrary decision made by the University to get out of the "single family housing business" that had been made years ago before the football program was approved. The University actually only has plans to demolish the houses and build over 19 of these lots. However, all of the University owned Hillsdale houses will be vacated by the end of September.
This decision will ultimately have an adverse effect, intentional or not, on both current and future non-traditional students with families that wish to further their education, but will not be able to due to the lack of the affordable family housing that the University has made available for years through these homes that were located in the Hillsdale area.
Many students are already experiencing difficult times due to the sudden notification that they must find other housing arrangements. I spoke to one student who has been forced out of his home by the University and was homeless for a short time due to the decision of the University to "get out of the family housing business." These are real people who are being negatively affected because our University has deemed it not cost effective to make these students' educational dreams a reality. However, new purely recreational programs that could potentially also lose the University money are being approved. It is disgraceful for our University to even think about adding entertainment programs while dashing working families' hopes of improving their lives through education by supplying affordable housing.
This decision will ultimately have an adverse effect, intentional or not, on both current and future non-traditional students with families that wish to further their education, but will not be able to due to the lack of the affordable family housing that the University has made available for years through these homes that were located in the Hillsdale area.
Many students are already experiencing difficult times due to the sudden notification that they must find other housing arrangements. I spoke to one student who has been forced out of his home by the University and was homeless for a short time due to the decision of the University to "get out of the family housing business." These are real people who are being negatively affected because our University has deemed it not cost effective to make these students' educational dreams a reality. However, new purely recreational programs that could potentially also lose the University money are being approved. It is disgraceful for our University to even think about adding entertainment programs while dashing working families' hopes of improving their lives through education by supplying affordable housing.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
analyn123
analyn123
posted 5/27/08 @ 3:33 PM CST
At present many people live in school campus that is vacant.The reason is over population and they have no space in order that they can build there home. (Continued…)
USA_Alum
posted 5/28/08 @ 3:30 PM CST
The houses should be offered for sale to the tenants first. if they are interested in buying the house in the current condition, they should be able to do so. (Continued…)
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