Advocates for WCU Renters

Photo by Teemu008 (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flicks

Graphic by Ally Drames

With the university moving to online classes due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many off-campus student renters are left wondering how they will pay for their now empty apartments — both for this semester and the possibility of next. 

Students Ally Drames, Katherine Fox and Riley McGowan recognized the problem that many students are now facing: the high price of the borough’s student rentals, nationwide layoffs, and the inability of many students to currently reside in their off-campus apartments. The students rallied together to create an advocacy movement for WCU student renters. They’ve made it their mission to represent the student voice, hoping to reach university and borough officials through numbers and support. 

“When it comes to our overall purpose, the three of us just started with our own personal stories and concerns. We came to the realization that this is affecting hundreds of off-campus students.  We want to spread awareness about the unfairness and the vulnerability of the situation,” Fox said. “If we collaborate together, we might be able to make some waves and get additional resources.” 

On Wednesday, April 22, the Advocates for WCU Renters held their first official Zoom meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to answer questions, spread awareness, collect testimonials and to get students thinking about what will happen if WCU is online again in the fall. One of the main components of the contingency plan is a survey that has been created to gather testimonials and statistics; it was shared at the meeting and is currently available on the Advocates for WCU Renters Facebook page. 

“Getting feedback is how we’re going to show the disparity of this issue… It will help other people to come forward and share their voices, anonymously, if they want. This movement is not just for tonight,” said McGowan at the meeting. “We’re going to keep this going until we can try and get everyone what they need.”

The Lease Contingency Plan started as a way to get the student rental problem on the radars of property owners, and university and borough officials, but it really cemented its purpose after the latest SGA Town Hall. It was revealed that the university had reached out to property owners to discuss lease alleviation for WCU off-campus renters, and currently, only one landlord is offering any alleviation assistance.  

A lease is a legal contract, and those signed by off-campus students technically don’t have any affiliation with the university. However, the Advocates for WCU Renters are hoping that the borough landlords will provide a lease contingency plan to students, given the current conditions and the possibility of the fall semester being online. The movement is looking to share the collected statistics and stories of student renters with borough officials, who should be thinking about the rights of tenants in student-zoned housing. They’re also hoping to connect with the university, which should be thinking about the current vulnerability of their off-campus population. 

The overwhelming feeling of students and parents involved in the plan is one of frustration. The fact that the university itself doesn’t have enough beds to house their student population has created a competitive and vulnerable off-campus housing environment. Most WCU students sign their leases for the following school year in the early fall, if not late summer. A lack of housing on the university’s part has created a massive rush for students to find definite off-campus housing at an accelerated pace; this housing culture that’s been created doesn’t account for or leave room for, situations like the COVID-19 crisis. 

So far, the survey sent out by the Advocates for WCU Renters has gathered more than 130 responses. The results show that 84 people signed their leases for the 2020-2021 school year in 2019. Of the 132 responses, 65%t are currently having trouble paying their rent, and a majority of current off-campus renters are unable to break their lease, regardless of what might happen in the fall. 

When it comes to joining the movement or helping with the cause, Drames, Fox and McGowan say that the best thing to do is to take the survey and “share, share, share.” The main place to find information is the Advocates for WCU Renters Facebook page; the group also has an Instagram, advocates4wcurenters, and a Remind101, where texting @wcurenters to 81010 will provide you with updates. 

Advocates for WCU Renters will be having their second Zoom meeting this Wednesday, April 29, at 8 p.m. The ID is 967-0491-5288, and the password is 987810.

Emma Bickerstaffe is a third-year English writings major with minors in journalism and anthropology. EB891492@wcupa.edu