OF HO F CA US MP ING US ISS UE
BASEMENT BANDS
13
Off campus music acts featured
EATING OFF CAMPUS
Sarah Alexander gives advice on leaving points and blocks behind
C YNIC THE VERMONT
8
The University of Vermont’s independent voice since 1883
THE GOOD WOMAN OF SETZUAN OPENS AT ROYAL TYLER THEATRE
12
w w w . v e r m o n t c y n i c . c o m | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 0 , 2 0 1 1 – Vo l u m e 1 2 8 I s s u e 1 1 | B u r l i n g t o n , Ve r m o n t
High price, higher stress %\ .HHJDQ )DLUÂżHOG Staff  Writer For  some  students,  the  city  of  Burlington  serves  as  an  incredible  backdrop  for  a  col- lege  experience;Íž  the  picturesque  location  coupled  with  the  invit- ing  community  allows  students  from  all  walks  RI OLIH WR Ă€RXULVK 2QH quality  that  Burlington  does  not  boast,  how- ever,  is  an  open  rental  KRXVLQJ PDUNHW The  rental  vacancy  rate  in  Chittenden  Coun- ty  in  December  2010  was  SHUFHQW ² D IDU FU\ from  the  national  average  of  12  percent,  according  to  a  report  by  Allen  Brooks  &  $VVRFLDWHV ,QF Apartment  vacancies  may  be  lower  than  that  rate  represents,  a  tweet  by  Chris  Donnelly,  director  of  community  relations  for  the  Champlain  Housing  Trust  stated  RQ 1RY “I  just  learned  [Champlain  Hous- ing  Trust]  has  just  seven  vacancies  out  of  DERXW DSWV LQ &KLWWHQGHQ &RXQW\ ´ KH WZHHWHG Âł:RZ ´ Burlington’s  rental  vacancy  rate  is  far  below  that  of  a  healthy  market,  resulting  in  comparatively  high  rent  prices,  said  Brian Â
Pine,  assistant  director  for  housing  at  Burl- ington’s  Community  and  Economic  Devel- RSPHQW 2IÂżFH &('2 “A  balanced  rental  housing  market  is  one  where  the  vacancy  rate  is  close  to  5  SHUFHQW ² WKLV HQVXUHV DQ DGHTXDWH VXSSO\ for  consumers  and  enough  demand  to  jus- WLI\ SULYDWH LQYHVWPHQW ´ 3LQH VDLG The  primary  reason  for  the  low  vacancy Â
Ease students off campus Workshops educate future residents to be good neighbors in downtown Burlington %\ /DXUHQ 'UDVOHU Staff  Writer For  many  students  at  890 WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI MX- nior  year  means  one  thing:  OLYLQJ RII FDPSXV 6HDUFKLQJ IRU RII FDP- pus  housing  can  be  stress- ful  for  many  students  be- FDXVH LWÂśV RIWHQ WKHLU ÂżUVW time  living  on  their  own  away  from  college  dorms  RU KRPH 7KH 890 2IÂżFH RI 6WX- dent  and  Community  Re- ODWLRQV RIIHUV 2II &DPSXV /LYLQJ :RUNVKRSV IRU VWX- dents  beginning  to  look  for  off-Âcampus  living  arrange- ments  in  Burlington  and  WKH VXUURXQGLQJ DUHDV
This  year,  there  are  three  off-Âcampus  living  workshops,  Coordinator  of  2II &DPSXV 6HUYLFHV $OLFLD 7D\ORU VDLG Âł:H RIIHU WKHVH ZRUN- shops  for  students  so  that  they  have  resources  for  when  they  make  the  move  RII FDPSXV ´ 7D\ORU VDLG “Through  attending  these  workshops,  students  learn  everything  from  what  a  lease  means  to  their  rights  DV D WHQDQW ´ 7KH ÂżUVW WZR ZRUN- VKRSV WRRN SODFH RQ 1RY DQG 1RY 7KH ÂżQDO ZRUNVKRS ZLOO EH RQ 1RY LQ WKH /LYDN %DOOURRP DW WKH 'DYLV &HQWHU
During  the  workshop,  a  group  of  panelists  come  and  talk  with  the  students,  7D\ORU VDLG 7KH SDQHOLVWV include  a  representative  IURP 97 7HQDQWV ,QF D Fair  Housing  representa- WLYH DQ RIÂżFHU IURP WKH Burlington  Police  Depart- PHQW D 890 3ROLFH RIÂż- cer,  City  Council  members  DQG ODQGORUGV “The  panelists  act  as  a  VWXGHQW VDIHW\ QHW ´ 7D\- ORU VDLG Âł%\ KDYLQJ WKHP come,  it  lets  students  know  that  they’re  not  alone  off  FDPSXV ´ See  WORKSHOPs  on  page  2
rate  is  the  overwhelming  number  of  col- lege  students  seeking  housing  in  the  area,  KH VDLG Âł:LWK RYHU 890 VWXGHQWV DQG about  1,000  Champlain  College  students  living  in  the  community,  there  are  simply  not  enough  apartments  available  to  meet  WKH QHHG ´ 3LQH VDLG The  rental  housing  scarcity  is  not  a  new  SKHQRPHQRQ 3LQH VDLG 7KH YDFDQF\ UDWH has  remained  between  1  and  2  percent  for  the  past  20  years,  receiving  only  a  brief  re- prieve  when  Redstone  Apartments,  which  DGGHG EHGV WR WKH PDUNHW ZHUH EXLOW LQ WKH V Efforts  to  combat  the  low  vacancy  rate  KDYH EHHQ VW\PLHG E\ 890ÂśV HQUROOPHQW boom  over  the  past  decade,  during  which  time  the  student  population  increased  by  VRPH SHUFHQW KH VDLG Keeping  up  with  the  demand  created  E\ 890ÂśV JURZWK LV GLIÂżFXOW GXH WR LPSHGL- PHQWV WR FRQVWUXFWLRQ 3LQH VDLG “The  cost  of  land,  labor  and  capital  combined  with  a  lengthy  and  costly  local  and  state  permit  process  are  all  barriers  to  PRUH KRXVLQJ GHYHORSPHQW ´ KH VDLG The  imbalance  between  supply  and  demand  in  Burlington’s  rental  market  has  resulted  in  high  rent  prices  and  reduced  KRXVLQJ TXDOLW\ 3LQH VDLG The  vacancy  rate  of  a  rental  market  JUHDWO\ LQĂ€XHQFHV UHQW SULFHV KH VDLG The  average  effective  rent  for  a  two- bedroom  unit  was  about  $1,000  last  year,  and  the  fair  market  rent  for  a  one-Âbedroom  DSDUWPHQW IRU ÂżVFDO \HDU LV DF- FRUGLQJ WR D UHSRUW E\ WKH 8 6 'HSDUWPHQW RI +RXVLQJ DQG 8UEDQ 'HYHORSPHQW 6WXGHQWV VHHNLQJ KRXVLQJ FORVH WR FDP- pus  said  they  are  even  more  disadvantaged  E\ WKH GLVFUHSDQF\ $ VWXG\ FRPPLVVLRQHG
E\ 890 LQ LQGLFDWHG WKDW UHQW SULFHV ZHUH WR SHUFHQW KLJKHU LQ DUHDV FORVHVW WR FDPSXV -XQLRU &DUULH :LONLQVRQ VDLG WKDW although  her  apartment  on  Greene  6WUHHW LV QRW WKH QLFHVW VKH FKRVH LW because  the  price  was  reasonable,  and  she  was  eager  to  sign  a  lease  before  the  UHQWDO PDUNHW GULHG XS “I  decided  on  [my]  apartment  be- cause  it  had  a  moderately  priced  rent,  ZLWKRXW XWLOLWLHV LQFOXGHG ´ :LONLQVRQ VDLG Âł, DOVR SLFNHG >P\@ DSDUWPHQW because  a  lot  of  places  were  being  signed  quickly,  and  my  roommates  and  I  were  afraid  we  wouldn’t  be  DEOH WR ÂżQG D GHFHQW SODFH LQ WLPH ´ :LONLQVRQ DOVR VDLG VKH KDG WURXEOH ÂżQGLQJ DQ DSDUWPHQW ZLWK- in  her  price  range  that  met  her  ex- SHFWDWLRQV “A  lot  of  the  apartments  I  looked  at  weren’t  worth  the  price  WDJ ´ VKH VDLG Âł6RPH ZHUH LQ D great  location  but  were  lacking  in  other  areas  like  looks  and  what  was  LQFOXGHG LQ WKH PRQWKO\ UHQW ´ 6XFK D ODUJH LQFUHDVH RI VWXGHQWV LQ D VKRUW DPRXQW RI WLPH KDV PDGH LW GLIÂżFXOW to  keep  up  with  the  demand  for  off-Âcampus  VWXGHQW KRXVLQJ EXW SURMHFWV VXFK DV 6SLQ- ner  Place  and  Redstone  Lofts  have  given  VWXGHQWV PRUH RSWLRQV Junior  David  Bandler  said  that  despite  the  unfavorable  location,  he  opted  to  live  at  6SLQQHU 3ODFH WKLV \HDU EHFDXVH WKH FRQGL- WLRQV DUH QLFH DQG WKH SULFH ZDV ULJKW “It’s  nice  to  pay  a  relatively  low  month- ly  rate  that  includes  all  utilities,  and  my  apartment  is  nice  compared  to  some  of  my  IULHQGVÂś DSDUWPHQWV GRZQWRZQ ´ KH VDLG “Although  the  location  isn’t  the  greatest,  , OLNH WKH HDVH RI OLYLQJ WKDW 6SLQQHU SUR- YLGHV ´ Redstone  Lofts  is  a  similar  project  cur- rently  under  construction,  and  developers  hope  that  its  desirable  location  will  appeal  WR VWXGHQWV 7KH SURMHFW ZLOO DGG EHGV to  the  market  and  is  slated  to  open  in  Au- JXVW
“With over 4,000 UVM students and about 1,000 Champlain College students living in the community, there are simply not enough apartments available to meet the need.� Brian Pine Assistant director for housing at Burlington’s CEDO
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