Students Deserve Shelter: That’s Why We’re Here
“We had to kind of just pretend — it sounds bad — but pretend it didn’t happen cause we had to focus on finals.” — Dylan Klapmeier, Formerly Homeless UM Student
There was once a time when the dorms at UM were filled to the brim and students were forced to sleep in common rooms, their cars, and even sleeping bags underneath the stars. Even at that time, as the Montana Kaimin reported in November of 2013, student struggles with homelessness were not a new phenomenon (the above quotation is from that story, and can be read here).
Yet, despite UM having solved their overcrowding problem, students still struggle with the same situation. Many would argue that the situation is worse now; there are empty rooms in residence halls, and yet students still aren’t sleeping in beds. While you wouldn’t know it at a glance, food and housing insecurity plague nearly 50% of the students on UM’s campus.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by The Hope Center in 2018, 36 percent of students studying in the U.S. feel both food and housing insecure. Over nine percent of students have no place to call home, yet are still expected to compete with their peers in classes which will determine the course of the rest of their lives. [Read more on that survey here]
While students suffer on campus, the issue of housing availability affects the city of Missoula as well. According to a Missoulian article published February 1st, 2019 “In January, the City of Missoula had 293 homeless individuals. That represents 23 percent of the estimated total homeless population in the state and is the highest percentage anywhere in Montana” (2018 Point In Time Survey: Department of Housing and Urban Development).
So, if irresponsible students aren’t to blame, what could it be…?
Perhaps, the reason for UM’s housing problem is the opposite of irresponsibility; only 44% of UM students are under the age of 22, compared to the national average of 60%. This means that UM students are more likely to be financially independent, have an additional career, or even have one or more children. Therefore, students at UM are less able to put as much of their income towards housing expenses than students across the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to creep upwards. A family in Missoula County making under $20,000 a year can afford, without spending more than 30 percent of their income, an average of $534 per month. However, the average fair market rent for a two-bedroom home in Missoula County is $855 per month; students at UM spend time studying instead of making money and, as such, are completely unable to afford housing or forced to perpetuate the cycle of debt already forced upon them by their education.
Moreover, buying a house is even less affordable, according to the Bureau of Business and Economics at the University of Montana. The median sales price of all residential homes sold in the Missoula urban area in 2018 was approximately $290,000, an all-time record and a jump of $21,000 over the 2017 median sales price of $269,000. That’s a roughly 8.2 percent increase, which is the highest increase since the 8.9 percent jump from 2003 to 2004. If a student who has started a family wants to avoid the sky-high rental costs, buying in Missoula is not a better option.
So, maybe it's time we blame the housing market, instead of our students. As far as we can tell, the odds are stacked against them, and no one would argue that a student is more likely to be successful without a home. If we want to solve the enrollment crises at UM, we need to give students a way to live affordably in Missoula first.
That’s why we’re here.
Now, if you’ve gotten to this point, we must have gotten your interest, and we are so glad to have you! Please, check out our first story at the link below to find out so much more about what we do and how to contact us!
If that still isn’t enough, there might be a few things you could do!
Fight harmful stereotypes.
Check on your friends/peers/neighbors, and ask what “fine” means in their world.
Donate to UM’s food pantry!
Last off, even though we have a new blog, just remember that we are still the same ol’ Renter Center. We provide a platform for students, advocacy for renters, and support for landlords seeking the best renters around. Stop in, say hello, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or subscribe to our mailing list here! We also have a couple of other guides, already hot off the press, so make sure not to miss out (topics covered include living off campus, finding housing, and scheduling an appointment with us)!
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
ASUM RENTER CENTER, 32 CAMPUS DRIVE, MISSOULA, MT, 59812, UNITED STATES : (406) 243–2017 : RENTERCENTER@MSO.UMT.EDU
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