College Station City Council updated on off-campus student housing office at Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -The College Station City Council was updated at its last council meeting on Texas A&M’s efforts to help with off-campus housing for students.
During the presentation, Dr. Stefanie Baker, Director of Student Life, and Brigadier General Joe Ramirez Jr., Vice President for Student Affairs at Texas A&M University, discussed their initiatives aimed at educating off-campus students on housing and code enforcement matters.
Additionally, during the meeting, nine residents addressed the council regarding the enforcement of the city’s “No More Than Four” occupancy ordinance.
These discussions are, in part, a response to the perceived lack of affordable housing options in College Station. The city’s rapid growth and Texas A&M’s increasing enrollment have compounded the housing challenges for both on and off-campus options.
Texas A&M, according to data released by the university, ranks as the top public higher education institution in Texas, boasting a fall enrollment of just over 78,000 students.
However, the university’s on-campus housing facilities, comprising just over 12,000 beds in 37 residence halls and two apartment complexes, struggle to accommodate this growing enrollment.
Brigadier General Joe Ramirez acknowledged the significant growth, both on and off-campus, and its impact.
“We’ve seen rapid growth over the last five years as you well know. We feel it on campus, we know we feel it off campus,” said Ramirez.
With on-campus housing at capacity, many students turn to off-campus alternatives, often sharing homes with more than four unrelated individuals, leading to code enforcement issues, including parking problems, lease disputes, and maintenance concerns.
College Station City Councilman Dennis Maloney highlighted the need to balance the quality of life for students and long-term residents.
“There are so many neighbors that I’ve spoken with that appreciate that the government is supporting their attempts to protect their quality of life. You know there’s a quality of life for students and there’s a quality of life for long-term residents, and that’s what we’re balancing here,” said Maloney.
To address these challenges, Texas A&M is actively educating students on housing and code enforcement through initiatives like the “Remember Me Plus Three” campaign and Smart Leasing workshops. They provide individual support to students facing challenges and disputes with landlords. The campaign utilizes various outreach methods, such as social media, campus signs, and emails, to combat issues like “ghost tenants” who reside in properties without lease agreements, thus violating city regulations.
The Occupancy Enforcement Alliance also advocated for meaningful consequences for students breaking the law and improved disclosure of occupancy regulations to both property owners and tenants.
There’s a push to add more on-campus housing not only at Texas A&M but universities across the country. According to Inside Higher Ed, a media company and online publication that provides news, opinion, resources, events, and jobs focused on college and university topics, many universities and colleges are dealing with a huge demand for on-campus housing, something attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
College Station City Councilman Bob Yancy inquired about A&M’s capital projects and if they are considering adding more on-campus housing for students.
“The University of Texas System, and the University of Tennessee have engaged in very sizable student housing on-campus projects what’s my alma mater plans?” asked Yancy.
Ramirez mentioned a study to increase housing on the west side of campus, which is currently under consideration by the university’s administration.
“We’re doing a study out on West Campus to look to increase the housing we’ve got out there at White Creek. That study just came across my desk last week, it’s going to go on to the President,” replied Ramirez.
