Will UVM help ease stress of upperclassmen with new housing development, or hurt Burlington rental crisis even more?
Being a college student in Burlington, Vermont has many perks. The campus, the lake, and the fabulous downtown. That being said, as soon as you hit your third year at the University of Vermont (UVM), you are forced to take on the difficult task of moving off campus.
The housing market in Burlington has become unmanageable and incredibly competitive. Not to mention outlandishly expensive. UVM has proposed a new housing development called “Catamount Woods,” which is intended to house 540 upperclassmen. This is the universities so called plan to “enhanc(e) the vibrancy of our community” says UVM President Suresh Garimella. But will this be a fix to Burligntons rental crisis, or simply a ploy to enroll more students within the university?
When it comes to housing in Burlington for students, options are limited and competition is high. The fight to find a semi-decent apartment, close to campus, and reasonably priced is near impossible. About half the student population of UVM goes after the same pool of apartments within the first few weeks of the semester, and with the student body continuously growing, opportunities are becoming scarce.
What does UVM do to help guide their students through these difficult times? UVM sophomore Lydia Vadnal shared her grueling experience through the housing search. “I feel like it was difficult to find resources. There are a few things that they suggested. But it was mainly just on my own,” she says. It is often the experience of students to not have the knowledge of what to expect or how to go about finding a house unless they are friends with upperclassmen or have parental instruction.
Despite the lack of housing being a difficulty for UVM students, it has even larger effects on the surrounding community. Seven Days VT writes about a generation of Burlington residents being “pushed out by the housing crisis.” The fight for Vermont to take housing as seriously as agriculture is being pushed by the community. Aside from the University taking up the majority of housing in Burlington, Seven Days VT also explains the effect that absentee homeowners and second-home families contribute to the crisis.
So, will UVM’s new “Catamount Woods” make a change and help Burlington’s housing crisis? Catamount Woods is a joint project between the University of Vermont and AMM 15 Management aimed to build space for over 500 upperclassmen UVM students. But Lydia gives a new perspective. “I think it’s a good idea, but kind of in the wrong direction,” she expresses. “It’s just not in a really great location … I bet people would rather live downtown to be closer to Church Street and the water instead of living in the woods.”
She explains how UVM students may be apprehensive about living on campus in an apartment as or more expensive than a home or apartment in downtown Burlington. “I think people would rather (make the) sacrifice and live somewhere that’s in worse condition, than live in something like (Catamount Woods),” Lydia boldly states.
With the university’s growing number of students, Catamount Woods may be better off housing freshman and sophomore undergraduate students. Some of whom are currently being forced to live in small triple and quadruple rooms due to lack of space. Although the idea may be pointing in the right direction, the reality of the situation may be a surprise to the administration.
In this case, time will only tell if the new “Catamount Woods” project will help the housing crisis in Burlington Vermont. As rent, availability, and the number of students rise, UVM is in desperate need of a solution before the community begins to rebel.
