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news
Shortage leaves
students in cold
By Larry W. Brunson
Jr.
On-line Forty-Niner
As the new semester
begins, many students who were unable to find housing on-campus
must look off-campus for housing, only to find that rent prices
are extremely expensive, even with a roommate.
With the influx
of students coming into Cal State Long Beach this semester,
it has become impossible for students to live on-campus, as
the residence halls are filled to capacity, according to Stan
Olin, director of housing.
The application
process for on-campus housing usually begins in January for
the following school year. After applications are received,
the housing office conducts a lottery in which students are
randomly selected for housing spaces.
In April, students
are notified of their lottery results, and are assigned into
four different waives. Students in the first waive are
given first priority and sent a license agreement, which they
must sign and return with a payment of approximately $1,100
by the end of April to secure a space.
Students in later
waives are also given license agreements, but only as time
and space permits.
Students living
on-campus for the 2001-2002 academic year can expect to pay
approximately $5,400 for double occupancy room and board,
or $675 per month. Students living in single occupancy
room and board situations can expect to pay approximately
$5,800 for the academic year or $725 per month.
Currently, there
are 1,827 students taking advantage of on-campus housing,
although there are many more trying to obtain housing.
"This is what happens when students want to be in a desirable
place," Olin said.
Many students have
been forced to look for housing off-campus and are finding
that the prices are far more than those on-campus.
According to Rebecca
Moffett, owner of A Better Property Management, from 1992
to 1998, there were no rental increases in Long Beach because
of the Los Angeles riots in 1992. "There was such
a period of depression that landlords couldn't raise rental
prices," Moffett said.
There are also
issues of supply and demand when it comes to student housing,
according to Moffett. "There is a shortage of housing,
and laws have been passed to prevent building more affordable
student housing due to the fact that it is too expensive for
contractors to comply with housing regulations for students,"
Moffett said.
According to Moffett,
although rental prices have increased to as much as $800 a
month for a one bedroom apartment, Long Beach continues to
have the lowest rental rates of any other beach or university
city. "Long Beach is only getting half the rental
rates of all other beach communities and you can still find
a studio for $495 a month," Moffett said.
"Students
must put themselves into the landlord's shoes. Owners
and landlords must recoup the money they lost from the six-year
depression," Moffett continued.
According to Moffett,
many students are able to afford off-campus housing because
they receive financial aid; grants, loans, and they get on-campus
jobs and receive help from their parents. "It is
best for students to get housing early to get the best possible
rental rates," Moffett said.
CSULB graduate
student, David, who declined to give his last name in fear
that his financial aid would stop, agrees with Moffett.
"Get out early, a few weeks beforehand, and find housing.
Don't get suckered into the rental scams, and never pay for
rental services," David said.
David commutes
to campus everyday from the Inland Empire, and has found it
extremely difficult to find off-campus housing because of
the expensive prices. "It is hard because if you're
on a student budget then you can only get an apartment for
$500 to 550 a month," David said.
According to David,
in order to get an apartment, many property management companies
are requiring that students provided that their income is
three times the amount of the rent. So, if a student
wants to rent a property for $600 a month, then they must
make a monthly income of $1,800 a month or more, and according
to Moffett this has to be done because if not students won't
survive.
"It has been
proven that when a person does not make three times the amount
for rent, then they will fall behind and not be able to pay
the rent and be evicted," Moffett said.
According to David,
CSULB should provide student housing somewhere near the campus.
"They believe that most people are commuters and don't
need housing, but that's not the case," David said.
According to Olin,
CSULB does offer an automated off-campus listing service that
students can use to find off-campus housing. "We
encourage students to contact our off-campus housing coordinator
Renee McDonald, and she will tell them what to list and what
they can afford," Olin said.
Olin also encourages
students to go to neighborhoods they like to ask about rental
properties. "Make sure to get everything in writing,"
Olin said.
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