2008 Woodie Awards
NU not ready for lease limit
Michele Richinick
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: News
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Northeastern administrators are not yet prepared to address that concern, they said.
After the Boston City Council and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) approved the proposal, the BZC unanimously passed the new proposal last Wednesday to limit off-campus housing. The new ordinance, which will become city policy once Mayor Thomas Menino approves it, relies more on the property management side than the university, said Jeff Doggett, director for government relations and community affairs. Northeastern was involved because the administration felt it was hazardous for all students of the city living in unsafe housing, which comes when people were overcrowded, he said.
"We know there are lots of students across the city who have signed leases with four people and have additional students living with them," Doggett said. "That won't be able to continue."
Anytime a zoning change or law is implemented, an enforcement agency, which is the Boston Inspectional Services in this case, must figure out how they will enforce the change, Doggett said. As of now, Inspectional Services hasn't decided how they will enforce the new change, he said.
Even if university administrators knew what the enforcement was going to be, besides educating students on possible outcomes, they can't do much because the university isn't involved in signing leases, Doggett said. There is no connection in that regard between the leases and the university, he said.
"I would recommend that students reach out to the property management firm and ask them what will happen," Doggett said. "I can envision some owners will adjust their leases accordingly. Some units may get cheaper for the fall and some units may not be rented to students anymore. It is hard to know."
Boston College officials have proposed an ordinance that would restrict its students from leasing one- or two-family homes in Brighton, according to local media reports.
Some students, like Jason Evanish, a senior electrical engineering major, think the occupancy limit is one of many affronts to student rights.
"The local community is definitely at war with students. Every local organization, whether it be on Mission Hill, the Symphony/Gainsborough area or otherwise, are trying to do anything they can to single out college students as the reason for all of their problems," Evanish said. "This is just their latest move to try to make things more difficult for us."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 14
Michael Rockland
posted 3/17/08 @ 2:30 AM EST
If I'm not mistaken this was signed and has been law since 4:23pm Thursday afternoon.
Daniel Sullivan
posted 3/17/08 @ 12:24 PM EST
GRRR the BZA screwing everything up again. As it remains cost of living in Boston is so High how are students who are not allowed more then 4 per apartment supposed to live in the city? Building more on campus housing a solution? I think not, rarely do students want to stay in On-Campus housing with Neo-Nazi rules to follow, off campus is the only choice for mature adults in college. (Continued…)
NU mom
posted 3/17/08 @ 12:55 PM EST
For NU officials to say that there is no connection between the university and the decision to limit off campus housing options for students is a bit disingenuous. (Continued…)
Deb
posted 3/17/08 @ 2:19 PM EST
So does this mean that the NU housing with more than 4 students per apartment will fall under this zoning rule as well? When my daughter was in student housing at NU they crammed 6 students into a four bedroom. (Continued…)
Alex
posted 3/17/08 @ 4:56 PM EST
I truly think this is amazing...
On how many voices have not been heard.
The impact this can do, to not only college but also the Boston economy (especially during a housing crunch we are in). (Continued…)
John
posted 3/17/08 @ 5:08 PM EST
This is also incredibly silly, when push comes to shove...students need housing, landlords need the cash so I guarantee you landlords will help out students-this is capitalism at its finest. (Continued…)
Marie
posted 3/17/08 @ 9:32 PM EST
To respond to the NU Mom....
I lived in an EIGHT person apartment on-campus in Loftman Hall. The apartment had rodents, one refrigerator for eight roommates, a small kitchen, and cost more per month than a place off campus. (Continued…)
doug02144
Doug
posted 3/18/08 @ 1:13 PM EST
The zoning rule implies that the university is a bad neighbor and that students are irremediably prone to misbehavior. No matter whether that is true or not, the new administration made a serious mistake in lending Northeastern's approval to those notions by publicly advocating for passage of the measure. (Continued…)
Satanslandlady
posted 3/19/08 @ 12:28 PM EST
"Northeastern was involved because the administration felt it was hazardous for all students of the city living in unsafe housing, which comes when people were overcrowded, he said. (Continued…)
Linda Coffey
posted 6/15/08 @ 10:02 PM EST
My son and six fellow NU students signed a lease (through a real estate agent) in February for a 7-bedroom apartment on Parker Hill. Because of this ordinance, the group has decided to try to get out of the lease and get other housing. (Continued…)
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