On-Campus Living Cost and Housing Problem at the University of Houston - Case Study Example

On-campus housing costs have been rising rapidly in our school. Rising costs lead to live elsewhere, which means we spend more time in our cars, which makes students’ lives more difficult. Every semester, it is a common thing to roam around campus parking lots, spending lots of time in our vehicles. Also, we often are sitting in heavy traffic knowing that class time is getting close. These seem like minor yet inconvenient, effects of housing rate we students are facing. I heard many problems from friends and other students about on-campus housing and recognized how severe the on-campus housing problem has become. Our demand for living on-campus is getting larger, but our on-campus living cost is growing too. According to University of Houston Fall 2012 Facts, total numbers of students for 2012 are 38,752 which has increased by 5.1% since 2010 data. Moreover, University of Houston adds over 3,000 international students annually, who really want to live on-campus because they have no home in Houston. Thus it is time to think about on-campus housing problems more seriously than before. First of all, let’s look at some of the reasons why on-campus living costs are getting high. The biggest reason of expensive on-campus housing costs is high demand. The number of University of Houston students, especially international students is increased annually. One does not need to perform an in-depth analysis to realize that the overall rates of enrollment in universities around the country have increased exponentially; whereas the overall availability and supply of on-campus housing has remained relatively static. One of the biggest reasons for this is that schools and universities around the nation have focus their resources on providing further professors and classroom area as a means of accommodating this increase in the student body. However, due to the limitations and funding that exist, a focus upon seeking to provide further student housing and addressing the issue of living accommodations for the glut of new students that have integrated with the University experience over the past several decades has left a gaping hole of supply and driven up prices within the existing supply of student housing precipitously. In addition, On-campus housing is a very desirable place to live because there are wide varieties of facilities from campus recreation center to library. Also, the desire for academic success increases demand. According to a recent study conducted by the Iowa State University Department of Residence, there was big difference between freshmen who lived on campus and off-campus. The on-campus freshmen group showed higher graduation rate. Those three obvious profits cause high demand. The reader can readily note the fact that the off-campus experience is quite different than the on-campus experience. As such, the need to correct the deficit of existing student housing is an issue that requires immediate action and fund allocation. Another reason that the need for immediate action on this particular issue is of such great importance is with regards to the fact that the current real estate market still remains in something of a recession. As such, if this particular issue were addressed during the first few years of the last decade, the overall economic cost that additional student housing, real estate, and building would incur would likely be astronomical. However, due to the fact that the real estate market and building markets remained somewhat depressed as a result of the economic crash of 2007/2008, the time to address this particular issue with existing funds is now. Accordingly, if the University were able to direct and allocate sufficient funding to promoting further student housing and driving down the costs of this student housing through a level of subsidized nation, the economic costs of such an action would be greatly reduced as compared to what they would likely be within the very near future. All of this of course is predicated upon an economic understanding of the fact that the global economy, as well as the regional economy, will not continue to remain dormant and the prices that are currently represented will not continue at their low rate.         The other reason for overpriced of on-campus housing is the lack of support from the University. According to University of Houston System Housing Initiative, fifteen percent of University of Houston students live on campus housing. Moody Towers, The Quadrangle, Cougar Village, Cougar Place, and Calhoun Lofts are managed by UH. Students living in these dorms except Calhoun Lofts must be required to buy expensive meal plan which boosts housing costs. According to UH Student Housing, the lowest rate for housing is $2,254 per semester. However, after adding mandatory meal plan, housing costs are boosted from $2,252 to $3,952 per semester. It means students must spend around $1,000 per one month for living on-campus. The others three private complexes, Bayou Oaks, Cullen Oaks, and Cambridge Oaks are operated by UH partnerships. These three dorms have unreasonably prices compared to off-campus housing. Based on 2013 housing costs, their average monthly room rate is $795 without utility fee. It is not low costs because those students should share the same room. Whereas the University is seemingly quite happy to subsidize, at least to a certain degree, the on-campus housing that exists within the current system, the same level of concern is obviously not noted with regards to the high cost of off-campus living that are incurred by litany of different students that are forced to integrate with it. As such, rather than extending the same benefits to each and every student within the entire system, a far more efficient and effective method would be to engage the students by allowing them the choice and ultimate opportunity of picking between on or off-campus student housing. Now that we have looked over the reasons why on-campus housing is expensive, let’s examine the effects of this problem. First of all, it affects our academic affairs. My classmate Sean, who had to move out from on-campus because of high price, said it is too hard to study when he leave from on-campus housing. According to his statement, he has to leave because he paid more money for living on-campus. He lived in Cullen Oaks and shared a room with one roommate. He paid $710 per month. Mathematically, both he and his roommate paid $1420 per month for living on-campus. He said this rate is average or cheaper rate compare to other on-campus housing facilities. Now, he lives in off-campus (near Reliant Center) with one roommate and pays only $330 per month. Every month, he can save $390 per month compare to living on-campus. However, he has to abandon many useful things for study. He said it was difficult to find a place to study. Also, the lack of motivation for study like friends and study group makes it harder for him to study. According to article “The benefits of living on campus” by Reanna Delgadillo, students can easily meet people and make study group. On-campus dorms can give great place where students can help peers for academic goal. When it comes to studying environment, living off-campus has influenced our academic achievement. The next effect of on-campus housing costs is threating students’ health. Rising on-campus housing costs lead students to live out from school. Many students have to drive long time on the way to school because of traffic congestion. One of students whose name is Jay said he can save $300 a month thanks to living off-campus (South Area). However, he suffered physical impacts every day because of traffic jam. He said he easily becomes sensitive and annoyed whenever waiting on long traffic line. He gets worried about his class time and got stress a lot. Moreover, he cannot do anymore after finishing his drive. To support his statement, a study by Washington University at St. Louis has reported that individuals exposed to increased periods of time behind the wheel tend to have larger waistlines and higher blood pressure. This leads to strain on an individual’s heart. We can say housing costs affects our students’ physical health. And analysis of the pros and cons of the two particular approach is that it thus far been put forward reveals the fact that key strengths and weaknesses exist for both of the possible solutions that have been put forward. Firstly, with regards to the strength of the approach that recommend the university to buy additional real estate and begin immediate investment in order to drastically improve the student housing situation, this would necessarily benefit the availability of student housing in the long term; however, for the short term, it does not address the pressing need. Moreover, an additional con for this particular approach is with regards to the fact that the required funding will be enormous; drawing away funding that could otherwise be utilized for increasing the educational acumen that the university is able to offer. These drawbacks should not be seen as unimportant due to the fact that they strike at the very core competency of the university and what it is seeking to perform within the community. Ultimately, by taking the available resources on hand, an obvious correlation exists with respect to the available resources that could be allocated for other, perhaps more pressing, needs that the university might face. With regards to the pro vs. con analysis of a secondary solution that has been discussed, namely that of providing a lower cost of tuition and allowing the free market to provide the student housing needs of those affected, this particular approach has the immediate benefit of making education more readily available to the stakeholders in the immediate community. However, the obvious drawback is the fact that those students who would intend on moving to the university would be at a marked disadvantage due to the fact that they would not only be required to pay for their tuition, they would also be faced with the added stress of seeking accommodations in a relatively short period of time prior to the start of classes. At face value, the free market approach to removing the expectation that the university should provide housing for its students is at least somewhat attractive; yet, the core issue and the key failure with regards to this is the fact that the university is expected to provide this service and would put itself at a disadvantage as compared to other institutions of higher education. Accordingly, this action would make the university less attractive in the eyes of would-be applicants and likely suffer monetary loss due to the fact that fewer enrollees would be represented within their rosters. Lastly, on-campus housing costs affect student sociality. In the July 2008 Research by Alexander Astin and 6 accompanying persons wrote “Some of the benefits observed by researchers for those living on campus.” According to this research, On-campus students are more likely to use campus facilities and be involved in student activities. Participation in school events and activities and use of facilities can help to develop our social skills. Those are fundamental and useful experience for our future. Related to this research, it is obvious that high costs of on-campus housing makes a barrier which bothered students’ activities for their sociality. Students not only paid for course, but also for an exceptional academic place that would be comfortable and promote their studies as well as the furtherance of the pursuit of a career. High demand and the lack of support from the University increased high living costs. It makes problems which affect our living. As such, it is important to recognize the problems of our on-campus housing costs. It is obvious barrier for students who want to live on-campus. From such an understanding, it should reasonably be inferred that the best and most logical solution that presents itself, from the two that have thus far been analyzed, is to invest immediately in buying properties that could seek to ameliorate the student housing needs that exist currently. Although it is true that the impacts of such a course of action would not immediately be felt, the fact of the matter is that delaying a choice on this issue does not solve the problem any faster; rather, it merely magnifies it. Further, due to the fact that current real estate prices remain at levels far below what they have been in the recent past, the time to engage in such a bold strategy is now. Yet, with that being said, it must also be firmly understood that the process that has been recommended is not one that should be unconstrained and merely seek to allow the university to engage in something of a land grab. Instead, a steering committee and oversight board must be engaged in order to ensure that the decisions which are made are made effectively and only a certain affordable percentage of financial reserves are utilized in order to affect this particular approach. Such a conservative model of expansion would allow for key levels of financial reserves to continue to be represented in order to address whatever future needs the university might find itself facing at any particular point in time. Works Cited Alexander, Astin, Blimling Gregory, Pascarella, Ernest, Terenzini Patrick, Wilcox Paula, Winn Sandra, and Fyvie Marylynn. "The Benefit of Living On-Campus." - George Fox University. George Fox University, 25 July 2008. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Erin, Coppock. "Study: Freshmen Who Live on Campus Have Higher Graduation Rate."Iowa State Daily. Iowa State Daily, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Jay, Kim. Personal interview. 8 Oct. 2013. Reanna, Delgadillo. "The Benefits of Living on Campus | Daily Sundial." Daily Sundial. Daily Sundial, 27 Sept. 2010. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Sean, Park. Personal interview. 30 Sep. 2013. "TRAFFIC CONGESTION." 2013 Clean Air Commute. Clean Air Commute, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. University of Houston Fall 2012 Facts. Rep. Houston: University of Houston, 11 December 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. "University of Houston - Student Housing & Residential Life." University of Houston Student Housing Residential Life. University of Houston, 1 June 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. 2 Interviews Interview Script 1 Duckyeob: Hi, Sean. Why do you decide to live off-campus? Sean: To be honestly, I like live on-campus. I can not only easily find place for studying but also meet lots of friends who want to study together. I lived Cullen oaks and shared room with one roommate. I paid $710 per month. I feel it is expensive costs compare to off-campus housing costs. Duckyeob: $710 seems like not expensive. Why did you feel expensive? Can you tell me how much you can save after moving out? Sean: You are right if I only paid $710. However, I have to pay $50 for utilities fee and $400 for food costs. Mathematically, I spent $1160 per month. It is not cheap. Now I live in Reliant Center with one roommate. My housing rent fee is $660 include utilities fee. I only paid $330 per month because I shared my house. I can save $430 per month compare to living on-campus. Duckyeob: Now that I can understand why you have to leave on-campus. Lastly, Can you tell me what the most inconvenient things are after living off-campus? Sean: In my case, it affects my academic path. It is really difficult to find a place to study compare to living on-campus. Also, the lack of motivation for study like friends and study group makes me hard to study. Duckyeob: Thank you for your cooperation Sean. Interview Script 2 Duckyeob: Hi, Jay. I heard you lived off-campus because of living costs right? Jay: Yes, exactly. I am living now in south Houston. I can save $300 a month thanks to living off-campus Duckyeob: South Houston is quite better location for escaping traffic jam right? Jay: No. I have to drive long time. Especially, there are specific time for heavy traffic; 8:00-9:00am and 4:00-6:00pm. In my case, morning traffic makes me crazy because of morning class. Duckyeob: I am really sorry to hear that. Can you tell me any physical symptom because of traffic congestion? Jay: I easily become sensitive and annoyed whenever waiting on long traffic line. Also, I am worried about my class time and got stress a lot. Moreover, I cannot do anymore after finishing his drive. Duckyeob: Thank you for your cooperation Jay. Read More