It’s difficult enough to find off-campus housing in Evanston without worrying about whether you’re breaking the law. But now that city officials are targeting students who share apartments, the dearth in local housing could become even more serious.
About a week ago, city officials warned five students in a Simpson Street apartment that they were doing something illegal: They had five people living in the same apartment.
According to Evanston inspectors, city law prohibits more than three unrelated people from living in a single unit — no matter how many bedrooms it has.
The officials searched the Simpson Street apartment and warned the students it would be inspected again next month. If the students do not remedy the violation by the next inspection, they could be evicted.
The ordinance restricting the number of unrelated people in apartments was created in 1993 in response to complaints about noise, garbage, traffic and parking problems resulting from overcrowding. City officials reviewed the existing code and found that it failed to protect against these problems.
But in adopting the ordinance, the city failed to consider the substantial negative consequences it would have on some less vocal Evanston residents — namely the 3,600 Northwestern undergraduates who, according to the housing office, live off-campus.
The ordinance is too strict, and the city should reconsider it for the following reasons:
_Ѣ Housing in Evanston is expensive enough as it is. I called about 10 apartment complexes near campus and learned that three-bedroom apartments rent for between $1,600 and $2,000 per month. If only three students lived in those apartments, monthly rent per person could run as high as $660. Students share rooms simply to cut down on the amount each person must pay. Why should the city be opposed to that?
_Ѣ If the city enforced this ordinance consistently, students evicted from their apartments would have to find housing somewhere else. Most likely, they would find other apartments in Evanston. That would increase demand for housing and drive up prices for all residents — making an already pricey housing market even pricier.
_Ѣ The ordinance discriminates against anyone with limited financial resources, not just NU students. For example, if several Evanston families wanted to live together under one roof, they would be prohibited from doing so.
_Ѣ It doesn’t make sense to prohibit four unrelated people from living in a four-bedroom apartment. Three unrelated people, the limit under the ordinance, would be paying rent for any empty bedroom.
_Ѣ There’s no reason to believe that four or more unrelated people create more garbage and noise than four or more related people. The city’s use of the term “unrelated people” is simply a way of targeting students. Why doesn’t the city just prohibit more than three students from living together if that’s what the ordinance really means?
_Ѣ The city does not regularly catch people violating the ordinance, according to Jim Wolinski, the city’s director of community development. The last recorded violation occurred about six months ago in a building on the 2400 block of Ridge Avenue. The students living there were not evicted. What’s the point of having an ordinance if the city doesn’t prosecute offenders?
Most importantly, there is a better way for Evanston residents to work through differences with students. Residents should tell students when they have a concern. Call us and let us know we’re making too much noise. Stop by and remind us to pick up our trash.
That’s the least bureaucratic, most effective way to solve the problem.
Assistant City Editor Natalie Baughman is a Medill senior. She can be reached at [email protected].
