The men of 1603 Ridge Ave., apartment J3, are an asset to this school. Weekend after weekend they have devoted their apartment to the students of Northwestern, buying kegs, partying with complete strangers and randomly hooking up with girls they don’t know.
They’ve thrown Habitat for Humanity parties to show they care, formal soiree’s to show they’re gentlemen and hosted flip cup relays to support the athletes in all of us. They have a cardboard cutout of NU basketball star Vedran Vukusic. You can’t shake a stick at that school spirit.
And what do they get for all their hard work and devotion to the student body? An eviction letter.
Parliament enterprises, the owners of 1603 Ridge, have informed the men of J3 they will not be allowed to renew their lease in September due to a citation received last fall — a citation the members of the apartment said they weren’t even liable for. You would think there would have been time in the past seven months to give them some sort of a warning. Now, in mid-May, the boys are left homeless next year, and Thirsty Thursdays are in danger of becoming no more.
They aren’t alone. I live off campus and have yet to find out whether my management company plans on raising my rent. While living off campus is amazing — I have vowed never again to shower in a phone booth covered in 20 strange girls’ hair — students are subjected to the whims of outside management companies who don’t understand the NU schedule and don’t attempt to communicate with students about problems or changes with their housing.
There’s no regulator, either. If a homeowner wants to kick tenants out without notice, there’s no place to turn besides the City of Evanston, which has been notably unsympathetic to off-campus students.
The Associated Student Government off-campus Web site gives a handy calendar of events in the Evanston area, but offers no help to students who are looking for actual housing. The under-used student sublet site on HereAndNow is the only semblance of a resource for students who are looking for places to live. If ASG is looking for something to do, here’s your chance to shine.
Helpful inclusions would be, say, a list of management companies and pricing outlines. Perhaps a CTEC system for different companies and buildings. Maybe a “what-to-do-if-your-landlord-evicts-you-in-May-when-there-aren’t-many-housing-options-left” section — could be helpful.
Living off campus can be a scary jump for some. NU could help by creating some sort of safety net. Seeing as how relations between students and residents of Evanston are so strained, it’s a wonder there’s no university mediator for problems like the one experienced by J3.
We need to create better services for off-campus students. If for no other reason than because Cardboard Vedran needs a home.
Rina Martin is a Communication sophomore. She can be reached at
