Issuu

2016

STUDENT HOUSING GUIDE

The Michigan Daily â€” michigandaily.com

420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

EMMA KERR

Managing News Editor

AMANDA ALLEN

and GRANT HARDY Managing Photo Editors

SHOHAM GEVA Editor in Chief

FRANCESCA KIELB

and ANJALI ALANGADEN Managing Design Editors

LAURA SCHINAGLE Managing Editor

CLAIRE BRYAN

and REGAN DETWILER Editorial Page Editors

South U. area to see new luxury high rise Ten-story building will have student housing, commerical spaces on ground floor RHEA CHEETI

The South University Avenue business district is preparing to undergo a 10-story change. Hughes Properties is working with Hobbs + Black Architects to construct a new student housing building near the intersection of the Diag and South University. The building will offer a combination of four-, fiveand six-person bedrooms to appeal to a wide range of students, and it will include commercial spaces on the ground floor. It will replace a few buildings along the north side of South University between Church Street and East University Avenue, though Espresso Royale and TCF Bank will remain standing. Over the past years, high-rises such as these have been controversial, with students pointing to them as one of many examples of unaffordable rent downtown. The cost to rent in the South U. building has not been disclosed. However, rent at Landmark — another off-campus

student housing building near South University — is $1,200 per person per month for a four-bedroom. Rent is $2,100 per month for a two-bedroom at University Towers, which is also located in the area. Chang Yang, an LSA sophomore, said she supports the expansion of students’ living options, but emphasized the inaccessibility of safe, affordable housing for students close to campus. She added that she worries students are expected to sacrifice safety, security and convenience when searching for apartments. “More student housing in this area is good, especially because most concerns about housing involve safety,” Yang said. “It’s good that the apartments will be so close to the Diag and Central Campus, but, on the other hand, places in these areas charge a lot for housing. This is frustrating because it implies that safety comes only with wealth.” LSA sophomore Tara Jayaram echoed Yang’s sentiment. “It depends on the price,” she said. “If it’s affordable off-campus housing, then See HIGH RISE, Page 16

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Local businesses relocated for new high rises on South University Ave. More housing downtown means a change of storefronts BRIAN KUANG

Daily Staff Reporter

When Jenny Wu learned she would have to sell the Lucky Kitchen’s Central Campus location to make room for an apartment high-rise, she wasn’t surprised. It has been common knowledge among the small business owners along South University Avenue, Wu said, that large property developers — attracted by rising rents largely paid by students — are seeking to acquire real estate near Central Campus to erect new apartments. The change seemed inevitable. “We heard over the years that this was happening, and it was just bound to happen to us and we just didn’t know when,” Wu said. “We were surprised though to be the first ones to be approached, so we really didn’t have any choice.” Originally founded in 1993 near North Campus and expanding to East University Avenue in 2001, Lucky Kitchen has become a staple of the University of Michigan community, winning accolades as students’ choice for the best Chinese food on campus. Recently, however, Wu and several of her neighbors — including the owners of Pita Pit and Mia Za’s — were compelled to sell their downtown lots to the Missouri-based Collegiate Development Group for a 13-story, 91-unit project targeted at student tenants. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of housing units in structures with at least 20 units in Ann Arbor has increased by 32 percent from 2010 to 2015, nearly quadruple Ann Arbor’s overall housing growth of 9 percent. Of the 4,132 housing units

added to the city in the past five years, 73 percent of these units have been in buildings housing 10 or more people. Many of these housing units are in the numerous high-rise structures newly erected near campus like Sterling Arbor Blu, Landmark and Foundry Lofts. One of the main incentives for real estate developers to construct more high-rise apartments — high rent — also does not seem to be abating. In the past five years, median rents in the city have increased 14 percent to $1,075 per month, according to the Census Bureau. Collegiate Development Group, which is also in the process of constructing a 229-unit apartment off of South Main Street, did not respond to requests for comment. The insurgence of new residential high-rises — often displacing other businesses and public spaces — has not been

without resistance from both long-time Ann Arbor residents and students. A proposal to sell a vacant lot adjacent to the downtown Ann Arbor District Library to a highrise developer drew a year-long petition drive by local residents, many of whom wanted to have a public park built in the space, aiming to force the decision onto the November ballot. In June, 5,779 signatures were submitted to the City Clerk but were rejected several weeks later due to insufficient valid signatures. At September’s Board of Regents meeting, David Schafer, Central Student Government president, told the board one of his priorities for this semester is coordination with the city government to alleviate growing off-campus housing costs. As well, during this summer’s primary election for City Council, several candidates unsuccessfully

challenged incumbents with platforms including skepticism of greater urban residential development. Local attorney Eric Lipson, who ran against City Councilmember Graydon Krapohl (D–Ward 4) in the Democratic primary in August, said poorly planned and zoned high-rises come at the expense of existing residents by crowding out green space and leading to excess traffic and parking congestion. “I think the majority of city residents don’t want to see excessive development that impairs the quality of life in town,” he said. Lipson noted, however, that not all high-rise developments have met pushback from residents, comparing the relatively positive community reception to the Zaragon West building on 402 Thompson St. to a chillier See SOUTH U., Page 14

MAZIE HYAMS/Daily

The closed sign in from of Lucky Kitchen on East University.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Central Student Government and City Council work to decrease rent After years of increases, students and Ann Arbor officials partner for change NISA KHAN & BRIAN KUANG Daily Staff Reporters

Faced with a changing city landscape and student anxiety about high off-campus housing costs, Central Student Government has begun exploring options for cooperation with city government to address the issue. However, it remains unclear which specific policies CSG can realistically coordinate with city and county government officials that would alleviate off-campus housing costs, or even to what extent off-campus student rental costs have been changing. CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior, told the Board of Regents at their September meeting he hopes to start a dialogue between students and local officials on off-campus student housing. “The issue of increasingly costly off-campus housing for students is an issue that I believe we’d be well-served to tackle together,” Schafer told the Regents, adding preliminary meetings with city and local officials have already taken place, including with Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor (D) and Washtenaw County Commissioner Andy LaBarre (D). The median rate for rent in Ann Arbor has increased 14 percent to $1,075 per month from 2010 to 2015 — even as the amount of high-density housing has jumped by 32 percent — according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, this data is for the entire city and may not be reflective of the cost of housing for students specifically, most of which are clustered downtown. Nadine Jawad, CSG senior

ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily

Students listen to speakers at the Central Student Government meeting in the Michigan Union Sept. 20th, 2016

policy adviser and Public Policy senior, said CSG does not yet have concrete data on off-campus student housing costs or trends, noting they are conducting preliminary research to collect this data. She added, however, that the initiative began in response to numerous students approaching CSG with concerns pertaining to the cost of offcampus living. “I strongly believe that when students come and talk with us, their concerns should be top priority,” she said. “We wanted students to have a better understanding of off-campus housing dynamics in Ann Arbor because a lot of students expressed that the current rental prices were an issue.” A major hurdle for CSG’s initiative will be limits on the city of Ann Arbor’s ability to exert control on housing prices,

which includes rental costs for students. State law bars municipalities from setting rent controls on private landlords, and while housing subsidies and incentives are possible, they cannot be made exclusive for a specific demographic, such as students. Schafer acknowledged these challenges and that meaningful change may take well over a year to take effect. Nonetheless, he said he hopes to see greater student involvement in City Council decisions, especially ones about housing. “I think students would be well served to know their innate powers as a state constituency,” said Schafer. “Making their voices heard is so important because when students come together, when students mobilize, when they make their voices heard — that can lead to

tangible, positive results for the general constituency.” CSG is planning to initiate public dialogue between students and officials at a panel Oct. 13 in the Union, with speakers from City Council, the University of Michigan and other officials. Executive members of the housing affordability initiative, such as Jawad, are aiming to start with events that will then lead to other projects for the year. Jawad said CSG also plans to talk to about housing issues associated specifically with high rises going forward and has contacted Tower Plaza and Zaragon West to ask questions about density. Ann Arbor resident Ken Clein — who chairs the city Planning Commission — said there is no “silver bullet” to remedy high See CSG, Page 14

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OPINION COLUMNS

We need more on-campus housing My parents like to joke that exploring housing on their own, student housing in Ann Arbor — or either by asking to see friends’ lack thereof — is the University of units or even knocking on Michigan’s hidden downside. To strangers’ doors. Consequently, a be sure, the price and quality of the significant number of properties student housing options in Ann have already been leased out for Arbor should come as a shock to the following year before landlords people who traipsed past gorgeous can even begin to show them. Hill neighborhood residence For students of any year — but halls on campus tours especially those just designed to sell the beginning their first school to prospective year on campus — students. deciding who to live But among students, with 10 months from the scarcity of affordable, now can be daunting. high-quality housing But, because the near Central Campus is University doesn’t no secret. guarantee housing for To the contrary, VICTORIA students after their NOBLE the idea that the Ann first year — and has Arbor housing-search process is a actually had to rescind student difficult one is so pervasive among housing contracts in exchange for students that many students begin off-campus accommodations in searching for housing for the two of the past three years due to following year within their first over-enrollment — options beyond few weeks on campus. As a result, the private rental market are some students sign leases or look somewhat limited. for other housing alternatives For some students, Greek life within the few weeks or months of provides one such option. Some the school year, which, according Greek organizations often — to Gayle Rosen, a Student Legal though not always — give secondServices housing attorney, can year members the option of living cause a number of problems for in chapter houses. And, even if students. students aren’t planning to live “We see situations where in Greek chapter houses, the people that sign a lease together organizations often give members are no longer friends,” she said groups of friends to live with in in an interview with the Daily. non-affiliated housing. “Somebody may have decided to Students who secure jobs as withdraw from the University members of residence staff are of Michigan and so they don’t guaranteed housing in dorms, need the apartment anymore, and there is a limited number of sometimes finances change, and dorm rooms available to non-first so the further away they are from years, notably in Stockwell Hall, when their lease starts, the more a sophomore-only dorm, and in often we see consequences from University-owned apartments on that.” North Campus. For students, the pressure to But the vast majority of find housing early mounts, despite students will opt to rent houses or an Ann Arbor city ordinance apartments for the year, and given designed to prevent landlords from the early date at which many have showing units before a new tenant to do it, problems can and do crop has lived in the unit for at least 70 up. days. Though the ordinance does, Many students sign joint leases, in most cases, prevent landlords obligating themselves — and often from showing apartments within See NOBLE, Page 10 the first few months of school, Victoria Noble can be reached at it doesn’t prevent students from vjnoble@umich.edu.

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Action on housing needed MAX LUBELL Paying for rent in Ann Arbor has a major impact on my wallet, and I am certainly not the only one who thinks so. Most Ann Arbor residents know that cheap property values and rental prices in Ann Arbor are difficult to come by, myself included. So, how does Ann Arbor housing compare to the rest of the region? Very differently, and that difference may have major impacts on all of Washtenaw County. In February 2015, the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development commissioned the creation of a study outlining the region’s housing market conditions. The Housing Affordability and Economic Equity Analysis displayed a major imbalance of housing throughout the county. The report stated that without major policy change, the imbalance could have significant negative consequences to the region’s economy in the next couple of decades. The report displays that Washtenaw County has two very distinct housing markets: one based in Ann Arbor and the other in Ypsilanti. These two markets vary greatly. Ann Arbor has a very stable market with a concentration of highincome residents and highcost housing options. Ypsilanti finds itself on the opposite side of the housing affordability spectrum. Ypsilanti’s market has been defined by lower-cost options and a higher foreclosure rate than that of Ann Arbor. There is a deep divide rooted in the economic segregation of Washtenaw County. As the cost of housing and living surpasses lower- to middle-class income levels, several residents are not able to afford Ann Arbor’s housing options. More and more non-

student residents, and sometimes student residents who cannot afford these costs, are pushed out of the area into Ypsilanti. Such a push has made Ypsilanti the “de facto affordable housing policy for Ann Arbor,” the report states. It’s no wonder why someone who couldn’t afford to pay rent in Ann Arbor plus having to compete with more than 30,000 students for rental property would decide to move out of the city. As more and more people are pushed out of Ann Arbor, a concentration of lower-income residents is created. If nothing changes, the report confirms that two things will occur: First, Ann Arbor’s housing will become more costly and unaffordable. Second, Ypsilanti will become more distressed and affordable, increasing the amount of at-risk households. The concentration of low-income residents isn’t good for Ypsilanti, as it brings all the negative impacts that concentrated poverty and at-risk homes bring with them, including crime and financial distress. The reality is that economic segregation in our county will have negative consequences for the region’s economy. Economic segregation will make both economies unsustainable and hurt economic growth. For Ypsilanti, this comes from decreased property values, increased foreclosures and the aforementioned economic distress. For Ann Arbor, this comes from a loss of workers and increased service costs, such as policing and transportation. So what can be done to reverse these trends and make the county’s economy more sustainable? Primarily, Ann Arbor and Pittsfield

Read more at MichiganDaily.com Max Lubell can be reached at mlubell@umich.edu

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landlord information 1 The Courtyards

1780 Broadway, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105 734-994-6007 www.courtyardsapts.com

Foundry Lofts

Zaragon Place West

625 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-325-1959 www.foundryloftsannarbor.com/index.html

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401 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-786-3890 www.zaragonwest.com

* All points on the map are sponsored

OPINION

FROM THE DAILY

Housing must be more affordable

s the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor grow in population and develop each year, demand for off-campus housing increases. Developers encourage a higher concentration of wealth in the downtown Ann Arbor area by building luxury high-rise apartments, and even with increased housing availability provided by these high-rises, prices in other areas around campus remain astronomical. Ann Arbor’s municipal code allows rental companies and landlords the autonomy to overcharge residents for the quality of their properties because of a lack of regulation around pricing. The municipal code’s lack of specificity regarding when new tenants can sign leases also induces a race to secure off-campus housing each fall. Developers must build more affordable apartment complexes for the average in-state student and the average Ann Arbor resident. Additionally, the city of Ann Arbor needs to tighten rent regulations and increase enforcement of such regulations to combat these issues. Though newly built high-rises change the city landscape of Ann Arbor dramatically, time has shown demand for such housing matches supply, as these buildings continue to be filled each year. In an ideal world, luxury apartments concentrated in the center of the city, close to campus, would lower housing prices in areas closer to South Campus and Kerrytown. But according to a recent study prepared for the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, this may not be the case. Instead of decreased prices for housing options a little further off campus, UM students are seeing rent prices that stay at the same high rates in surrounding areas. Furthermore, wealthier students and city residents are the ones living in these luxury high-rise apartments, which could possibly result in an increased wealth disparity within Ann Arbor. And according to the Washtenaw County OCED, wealth disparities are also increasing between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. While Ann Arbor’s economy may continue to grow because of new development and businesses

NOBLE From Page 6 their parents who sign as guarantors — to thousands of dollars in rent, under the expectation that each roommate will pay a share of the total cost of the unit. But because joint leases obligate all parties to the

moving in, the study suggests Ypsilanti’s will only worsen over time. These disparities are especially damaging to students at the University, as they attempt to balance living in a location suitable to getting to classes and maintaining affordability with rising tuition prices. All options need to be explored to fix Ann Arbor’s housing affordability issue. In particular, City Council should look at options for altering the city’s housing code pertaining to how and where development companies build luxury high-rise apartments. City Council also needs to address ways in which it can change the housing code to improve the leasing process. High housing demand south of campus and near Kerrytown causes residents and students to pay relatively high rent for what they’re getting. Landlords can charge upward of $850 per month per tenant for what may be mediocre to subpar properties. Beyond paying high prices, the logistical timeline to find a lease has become a rat race. The city’s leasing laws allow rental companies and landlords to lease

their properties according to a schedule that creates a housing frenzy for students at the start of each fall semester. According to the city’s housing code, leasers may not start showing properties to prospective renters until 70 days after the current tenant’s lease has begun. Because of growing pressure to find housing, however, prospective tenants are incentivized to find homes on their own and secure under-the-table promise for the next year’s lease before the 70 days have passed. These transactions can, and often do, occur under the table, but leasers themselves sometimes ignore municipal code and officially sign leases to new tenants before the 70 days have passed. In an interview with The Michigan Daily in Oct. 2015, Ann Arbor property manager Jon Keller said rental companies and landlords do this because the penalty fee is negligible — and sometimes not enforced. Whether it’s done under the table or illegally, Ann Arbor’s current municipal code leaves students scrambling for next year’s housing each fall, during a time when they’re trying to settle

into campus life and into their current houses. Many students also don’t know who they’ll want to live with a year down the line, when their lease will actually begin. Ann Arbor’s municipal code should place tighter controls on the leasing process, and these controls should be better enforced for the sake of students and Ann Arbor residents alike. Luxury high-rise apartment complexes keep popping up and will continue to unless tighter regulations stop them. While there is demand for such housing, the increased supply and concentration of luxury living spaces in the center of the city is only contributing to increased wealth disparity within Ann Arbor and between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. What’s more, the city’s current municipal code too often leaves residents and students in off-campus housing with no other option but to sign leases before they’re ready and to pay more for rent than properties are worth. City Council needs to move to alter the housing code and tighten enforcement to combat these issues, which would benefit residents of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and students at the University.

same terms, any party to the lease can usually be held responsible for missed rent payments, even if it was someone else on the lease who didn’t pay. In other circumstances, students sign binding leases unaware of the binding nature of the commitment; for other students, plans or friend groups change well after they’ve signed a

lease. In most cases like these, the student’s only option is to find a sub-leaser. Given the fact that many students sign leases so early, and that many of these students are first years, it seems problematic that the University doesn’t include information about students’ rights and responsibilities as tenants at orientation. Student Legal

Services does occasionally offer information sessions, and offers the service of reviewing students’ leases before they sign them, in the hopes that doing so will prevent larger problems down the road.

10 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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Many historic, off-campus student homes have high fire hazard potential Downtown districts include houses from the 1840s to 1950s JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter

While many students embrace an old-fashioned ambiance in their off-campus homes, these homes often have potential for fire hazards due to risk factors associated with living in the college environment and older infrastructure. Among an undergraduate population of more than 28,000 students, just under 40 percent live on campus, according to the University of Michigan housing website. Of the two-thirds who live off-campus, many are in houses, not apartments, including in the city’s historic districts. According to the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission’s Historic District Design Guidelines from 2012, houses in the historic districts of Ann Arbor represent American architecture from the 1840s to 1950s, and most were built during this time period. Represented styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Vernacular among others. Lisha Turner-Tolbert, Ann Arbor Rental Housing Services’ projects and programs manager, said some students live in historically sanctioned areas, such as the Old Fourth Ward, which is located on the north of East Huron Street. Every two and a half years, Ann Arbor’s housing department inspects rental houses to make sure they comply with the Housing Code, chapter 105 of the Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances, and don’t present any hazards. It is then up to the property owners to fix any problems and make updates. Turner-Tolbert said because these houses being part of the historic district, many of them are

AMANDA ALLEN/Daily

The Kerrytown neighborhood, located on the North side, is one of the historic districts in Ann Arbor

in good shape. “The foundations and structures of these homes, and particularly with the historic district, those foundations are pretty solid,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve got a ton of houses that need to have a lot of overhaul or a lot of repairs done. As long as an owner has just regular maintenance done to their properties, with students going in and out, and changing and swapping students every year or so, it’s really just important for the property manager to have a regular maintenance program. From what we see, of course people are prepared for inspection. I don’t know how much fore-work is done before we get there. But when we get there, typically, people have just regular things they need to have done — not a whole lot of major damage.” University alum Jason Okrasinski is the CEO and

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co-founder of Cribspot — a search engine that includes housing for University of Michigan students and can be used to find rental properties. The company serves as a middleman by signing long-term leasing contracts with owners or landlords and then finding tenants, collecting rent and providing certain amenities, among other things. Okrasinski said he finds that some properties are more neglected than others. “Some of the owners just don’t care,” he said. “They’ll do just the bare minimum to get through the inspection process or to get the safety in order, but they won’t go above and beyond.” The Ann Arbor Fire Department, on the other hand, deals primarily with commercial houses. However, according to Fire Inspector Andrew Box, they often receive fire code complaints

from concerned parents in the fall, when their kids are moving into these old houses. In this case, the fire department works with the housing department to fix failed smoke detectors or help with identifying access points to enter and exit the house in case of fire. “I value the historic value of a home and the characteristics that they present, but they do present safety concerns due to narrow hallways, older construction, how fire travels,” he said. “When you have those older features, those concerns, and you mix in youth and the independence or limited supervision, it can be a formula for disaster.” According to Box, national statistics find that 76 percent of fatal fires involve alcohol, and he said being on a college campus with off-campus houses only reinforces that statistic. See FIRE, Page 16

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SOUTH U. From Page 4 reception for the Foundry Lofts tower on 413 E. Huron St. He said he thinks Zaragon was not opposed by most residents because it blended into an already dense area of downtown with adequate infrastructure. Meanwhile, Foundry Lofts drew ire from citizens because of its direct adjacency to a low-density historical residential district. “There are certain areas where there are serious mistakes in the zoning,” Lipson said. “Foundry Lofts was a disaster for all of the homes to the north of it … It’s shading buildings, it’s causing trees to die and it’s having a serious impact beyond the expectations of when the zoning was changed.” Many of Lipson’s points were echoed by local resident Ray Detter, leader of the Downtown Area Citizen’s Advisory Council, which advises local government on downtown planning issues. Detter said downtown development would ideally allow for mixed residential

CSG From Page 5 costs of living, but listed several options that are often discussed by the Planning Commission and city government. These options include incentives for developers to create more low-rent housing, increasing the amount of property available for residential development and allowing the construction of low-density accessory dwelling units on existing residential plots. Clein noted that these measures can only be applied to the city housing market as a whole, and cannot be specifically targeted at students. The willingness of property developers to lower rents for students in response to external

and commercial use as well as economic diversity in residents, meaning he supports what he calls “good” developments such as the Liberty Loft condos off Second and Williams Streets. “We’ve always wanted to encourage as much diversity in the downtown area as possible, both in types of people and income levels,” Detter said. “We were rather surprised by the fact that so much of the development in the city has been moving in the direction of students.” Detter charged that the increase in student high-rises has been straining the limited land supply of downtown, as well as driving away other residents who cannot afford the rents charged by luxury student apartments. “If you’re a person such as an artist, not making much money, where would you move?” Detter asked. “There are a lot of people who can’t afford $1,200 a bed. In the remaining space we’ve got downtown, what should we have? We’re always in support of more housing. But what should the housing be, who should it appeal to and how should it be designed?”

City Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) said concerns over increasing residential density is not unique to Ann Arbor. “There’s been a lot of complaints about density in the city. These complaints could be transposed to nearly any other city in the U.S.,” Briere said. “Nobody seems to be really happy about more housing being built in the city, and to some extent we all share that concern because more housing means more people means more wear and tear.” Briere, who is the council’s liaison to the Planning Commission, noted that the city government does not have the power to directly limit new development, outside of enforcing pre-existing zoning and building codes. “Private property rights are very strongly supported by local government because they’re required by statewide government,” Briere said. “It’s difficult because sometimes people think what that we are going to stop a development, but mostly our job is to allow development but within constraints.”

For students on campus, the advent of new housing has brought both negatives and positives — especially when it comes to projects that displace businesses, like the South U. developments. LSA senior Julian Tabron said he thought increased density was necessary, but added that he has been disappointed by the trend of small businesses being pushed further from campus to make space for new housing, particularly Lucky Kitchen. “I’ve noticed a lot of restaurants on South U and East University shut down in recent years,” Tabron said. “It’s just crazy.” LSA senior Sydney Ohl said she was disappointed by the closure of Lucky Kitchen’s Central Campus location due to its sentimental value — she dined there on the day she first moved to Ann Arbor as a freshman — though she understood the demand for more housing. “Of course we need places for students to stay,” Ohl said. “But it’s really unfortunate it has to come in the way of small businesses, especially ones students really enjoy having around.”

factors will also be crucial. Craig Wack, public relations director at EdR housing, which manages several properties in Ann Arbor, said large student housing projects in college towns tend to compete based on proximity to other students and amenities, with price as only a secondary factor, especially because many students receive rent assistance from their parents. “In the surveys we’ve had... the one thing that came back first and foremost is that students want to live where their friends live, they want to have that community,” Wack said. “Price is probably number two, a number of our students are paying their own way, but there are a lot of students who get help from their parents.” LSA junior Ellen Guerra,

who is living in an off-campus apartment for the first time, wrote in an email that she’s found of the off-campus housing process frustrating. “Figuring out student housing in Ann Arbor is outrageous: first, pricing is too high for what the homes offer. I know people who signed their lease 2 years in advance in order to secure a good home,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. “This makes finding housing extremely stressful if you don’t have connections to the people in a house you want or don’t have a set group of friends you want to live with.” She added that pricing is often unpredictable, especially when utilities come into play. “Finally, the prices are high and always become higher once you move in: I thought my place included all extra expenses but once I moved in I learned I

needed to pay more for Internet, parking and electricity,” she wrote. “The idea of figuring out housing for next year stresses me out a lot and it’s a full year away (un)til move in.” LSA sophomore Elizabeth Szeles echoed Guerra’s thoughts about off-campus housing. “I think housing is expensive in general,” she said. “As a sophomore, I am thinking ‘let’s look at off-campus housing’ and I am doing that right now, and it’s still ridiculously expensive, and that’s with the meal plan included. I really wish there were more options.” Szeles said she doesn’t know what to expect out of CSG’s plan to work with City Council, but added that she understands a project as big as one on the housing affordability might not be completed within her time at the University.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The Michigan Daily â€” michigandaily.com

University of Michigan administrators, city officials partner to welcome students to off-campus living Beyond the Diag program aims to improve off-campus safety, raise awareness about resources

University of Michigan leaders and city officials teamed up to provide students with off-campus living resources and information during the move-in process this weekend. Local law enforcement, volunteers and neighborhood ambassadors went door to door at a number of off-campus locations to greet students in houses and apartments, as well as distribute resources like off-campus living guides, annual security reports and bus schedules. Beyond the Diag, an offcampus housing program within the Dean of Student’s Office aims

to improve off-campus safety and education resources, helped host the event along with the UM office of Student Life. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones stressed the importance of Beyond the Diag’s work in the community and their efforts to improve upon a prior lack of resources and support for students as they transitioned away from on-campus living, as well as the work of the Ann Arbor Police Department and the University’s Department of Public Safety. “We really weren’t doing much in a concerted effort to reach our students off-campus, and we were hearing from students that once (they) left the residence halls, (they) didn’t have all the

resources that were there,” Blake Jones said. “The folks were feeling a little disconnected.” Molly Labrousse, Beyond the Diag program manager, said the event aims to promote safety and well-being, especially during busy times like the first week of move-in. “We’re encouraging (offcampus residents) to be healthy, but also be good neighbors as they are moving into their off-campus neighborhood,” Labrousse said. Labrousse aemphasized that the program is entirely student driven, and run by ambassadors who are students living in the neighborhoods they work with. Throughout the year, Labrousse added, ambassadors will host educational events such as a

“Halloween Hootenanny” and bystander education events with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center. A 2015 campus-wide sexual misconduct climate survey showed that among UM undergraduates who reported sexual misconduct, 41.2 percent said it happened off-campus. Blake Jones said overall, she hoped that students living offcampus will be responsible citizens in the Ann Arbor community, but also continue to feel connected to campus. “You’re sending a really important message about what it means to be in a community, in our community, and to welcome our students to be part of that,” Blake Jones said.

HIGH RISE From Page 3

FIRE From Page 12

I’d be really happy about it. But if it’s something like Zaragon Place, I just feel like it wouldn’t be worth living there.” However LSA sophomore Jessica Bleiweis, a current Landmark resident, said she believes the cost of rent at high-rises like hers reflects the quality and convenience of her experience. She added that she appreciates the amenities provided by the complex, which offer her a more comfortable living arrangement than that in dorms. “I feel like (the new building) would be a really good idea,” Bleiweis said. “I know that there are people who are struggling with finding housing, and, if it’s as nice as Landmark, I’m sure they’ll get a bunch of people who want to

“That’s a staggering number,” he said. “A lot of universities and colleges require students to live on campus where the school controls the environment. After that first year, you’re allowed to control it yourself. You’re able to control what you bring into your own place. That’s where some of the more high-risk behaviors come into play. Alcohol is a leading contributing factor to that high-risk behavior.” As for Ann Arbor, Box said there have been 20 fires from 2004 to 2016 related to student housing — on-campus and off. Of those 20, five were related to fraternity house fires. There is no data on whether alcohol played a role. “We try to help people be protected and safe in their own homes,” Box said. “We offer fire safety education programs on-sight, where we’ll go into local houses, we’ll go into Greek life organizations, and we’ll give their chapters fire safety presentations where we’ll go over how to exit the

home, what to do in the event of a fire, what to do in the event of a cooking fire.” Students living in older houses said they know about of the possibly hazardous elements, but some also said they enjoy the more historic, quirky architecture, interiors and experience in the house. LSA sophomore Serena Sabuda lives in a house off of East University Avenue with six other people. Signs of the house’s age, she said, include exposed brick in the basement and attic, an old-fashioned radiator in the bathroom that no longer works, a cast-iron fireplace in her bedroom, steep attic stairs and uneven floors. “My one housemate’s dad is an architect, and he said there is no way that’s regulation,” she said. “They’re way too steep and pretty narrow. That’s the stairs to the attic. But the stairs to the second floor — when you’re going down, if you’re tall, you could hit your head on the top.” The house also contains a fire escape, something that is no longer included in the construction of houses. Sabuda said she wanted to

live in her house because it’s not too expensive and in a good neighborhood. She added that she likes some of the older features. “Some of the rooms have exposed brick wall, which I think is really cool,” she said. “My room has an old fireplace. I think it works so I’m going to use that in the winter. And the fire escape, I think, is cool too.” Engineering sophomore Natalie Baxter lives with two other people in the lower level of a house built in 1910. There are two single apartments upstairs. She said some of the older elements of her house include an outdated kitchen without a dishwasher, a heating system that consists of grates on the floor and a lack of air conditioning. However, she said she likes some of the old-fashioned characteristics that give the house its charm, and that structural oddities and questionable safety features, her house is well-priced and a good college living environment. “It’s nice that it’s older — the high ceilings, the crown moldings — it’s kind of more Victorian,” she said.

KEVIN BIGLIN

Daily Staff Reporter