Ithaca College student voices concern over on campus and off campus housing

Sydney Brumfield, a junior at Ithaca College, currently lives in a circles apartment. But for next year, Sydney is looking to live off campus to save as much money as she can.

Sydney acknowledges the rising cost of housing in Ithaca, yet compared to Ithaca College's (IC) housing costs, it is significantly cheaper.

"I did the math," Brumfield said. "lt was like $2,500 more a semester to live on campus next year. To me, finances are a huge part of everything. It's not a perspective for a lot of students here at IC, [but] for me, it especially is."

Brumfield and her friends are currently in the process of looking for a place to live for the next academic year. So far, Brumfield has looked at 15 places in the past five weeks.

During her search, Brumfield has noted many challenges in trying to find the right place for her and her friends. Instances like landlords not listing the rent prices and other crucial information, and even the location of where to live have all been obstacles in finding the right home.

"I'm pretty pessimistic," Brumfield said. "If I keep my expectations low, I'll be pleasantly surprised if something will come through. But already, my roommates and I are pulling the next choices for us."

Besides the difficulty of finding off campus housing, Brumfield also spoke on the challenges of living on campus. Besides the price of IC housing, Brumfield also spoke on the lack of community that IC establishes.

"The college talks a lot about creating a community in these places," Brumfield said. "[But] I've never felt that in any of the dorms I have lived in. I constantly feel suffocated and regulated."

Brumfield noted that she thinks she will be able to find that sense of community when she moves off campus. She noted that she spends most of her time with friends from organizations at IC. "Currently, the residential life on campus is more of a stressor than a safe space for me."

Moving on to what the City of Ithaca is doing to address the housing issue, Brumfield placed a heavy emphasis on transparency from landlords. Citing instances where not all needed information was included in a posting, Brumfield stated that she doesn't want to face a big risk of going into a lease blind.

Brumfield also stated that she would like to see IC take more action on helping their students in finding off campus housing like Cornell does. Cornell has an office dedicated to helping students find housing, and Brumfield has mentioned visiting the website more than once.

Brumfield also stated that the city should also offer guidance to IC students trying to find a place of their own. Brumfield stated that many students undergoing this process are doing it for the very first time, and any assistance, whether it be form the school or the city, would help a lot.

"We are a huge source of income for a lot of places here. And because of that, I think we should have equal representation and input... and resources from the government that we help keep afloat."

Right now, Brumfield and her roommates are still looking for an affordable space that suits their needs. Should they not find a place that fits their criteria, Brumfield noted that she is considering just getting a studio of her own.

Published on Nov. 7, 2021 by Forth.