The added costs of living off-campus

Students living off-campus are finding the price of tuition is not the only increase they are seeing this semester. The cost of living outside the confines of SUNY Fredonia is beginning to climb and can be partly attributed to the actions of New York State Governor David Paterson.

Last year Paterson proposed a utility tax to all New Yorkers in an effort to balance the $16-billion budget deficit. The tax has caused a ripple effect of price increases, reaching residents living off-campus at Fredonia.

Brigham Road Apartments Property Manager Faith Jordan said the increase in rent is the direct result of Paterson’s utility tax and rising costs of cable and heat, all of which are included to residents.

“Our increases are mainly due to the utilities,” Jordan said. “Governor Paterson imposed an increase of three percent on all utility bills to go to the State of New York which took ours up even more.”

Jordan notes that an increase in costs by National Fuel and Time Warner Cable also contributed to the increase in rent for residents. She added “we all are feeling the effects of the rate increases.”

The cost of a two room apartment at Brigham Road Apartments will go from $420 a month to $445 a month, a $125 increase starting the Fall 2010 semester. Residents who had lived at Brigham Road longer than a year saw their rent rise from $405 a month to $445.

Park Place Apartments will also raise their rates, starting next fall A unit at Park Place currently goes for $2,680 a semester and will be raised next year to $2,875 a semester.
Students who live off-campus feel the benefits of choosing a place to live outweigh the possibility of seeing their rent rise every year.

“Having an apartment off-campus offers much more freedom and helps [you] to learn how to really live on your own since in the dorms you are basically paying to be babysat,” said senior visual arts and new media major Ally Demski. She added that with extra cost of gas and internet, living on campus can end up costing the same.

Some students are beginning to seek alternative options in order to save a few bucks as the cost of rent rises.

“I’m going to move into a house with three other people,” said junior TV & digital film major Kaylyn Van Norstrand. “It will end up costing half of what I pay now and will include all utilities.” Van Norstrand said she currently pays $2,500 a semester at Barker Commons, which includes all utilities.

Not all students, however, feel a rise in apartment price is enough reason to change living locations.

“Well, even though prices are rising, I still find it cheaper to live off-campus rather than in the dorms,” said senior business marketing major Justin Ostrowski, a resident of Campus Edge Townhouses.

Director of Residence Life Gary Bice said Fredonia is also affected by rising costs of utilities in New York State. According to Bice, the school has already taken measures to reduce the added weight of an increase in housing.

“We do planned increases,” Bice said. “We average about a five percent increase every year. Our rates are right about in the middle in terms of SUNY housing rates.”

Bice said the five percent increase is due to utilities such as cable, internet and even laundry services. “Students do not pay to do their laundry,” he said. “It’s sort of a perk over living off-campus.”

Bice added that due to an increase in freshman and sophomore residents, more students are looking off-campus to find a place to live.

“When you start adding in little costs such as food, it really does add up,” he said. “In the end after all costs, it really ends up being the same.” The average cost of a double occupancy dorm room at Fredonia is $2,825 per semester.