Housing guide spring 2022 - the diamondback
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper
the diamondback
spring 2022
housing guide
2 Housing Polls
contents Founded 1910,
independent
since 1971.
WRITTEN BY:
Ella Sherman
Grace Yarrow
No more fomo.
4
Shreya Vuttaluru
Committee seeks funds for
Do it all with
ZOE PIERCE Victoria Stavish
Editor in chief
homeownership project 3150 S. Campus Dining Hall,
COPY EDITED BY:
Ella Sherman
College Park, Md., 20742 Gabrielle Lewis
Amazon Prime
(301) 314-8200 Nataraj Shivaprasad
https://dbknews.com/contact-us/ Devon Milley
5 Housing resources THE DIAMONDBACK:
Job openings: https://dbknews.com/jobs/
DESIGNED BY:
Ogenna Umeozulu
Student.
Newsletter: https://ter.ps/DBKNL
Vincent Petroni
Anonymous tip line: https://dbknews.com/tips/
Jenna Bloom
Hanna Zakharenko
6 apartment construction
frustration with new FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
PHOTO
EDITING BY:
Julia Nikhinson
@thedbk @thedbk the diamondback @dbkonline
FRONT COVER
PHOTO BY:
Julia Nikhinson
Fast delivery, entertain-
ADVERTISING:
ment, exclusive deals for
7 Unlimited laundry in ads@dbknews.com BACK COVER
(301) 276-5770 PHOTO BY:
students, and more.
Joe Ryan
housing costs next fall Ethan Tuttle
Advertising Manager
Start your 6-month trial.
We made Instagram story polls at the beginning of the semester to find out what
people liked around campus — here are the results: amazon.com/UofMarylandCP
4 homeownership housing resources 5
Committee seeks $3M from College Park Housing resources
Council for homeownership project Where to find off-campus housing:
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING DATABASE
The university’s online database for off-campus housing provides the latest house and apartment vacancies around the campus. With your student account,
A College Park City-University Partnership committee plans to use the you can add a listing or look for a roommate while providing a roommate profile of your own.
funds to promote neighborhood stabilization and accessible housing. FACEBOOK
On select University of Maryland student Facebook groups, you can find student subletters and students looking for roommates. A comment or direct
message showing interest could put you in contact with the individual who’s listing.
By Grace Yarrow | @YarrowGrace | Staff writer
REAL ESTATE MARKETPLACES
The College Park City-University Partnership is Online real estate marketplaces offer listings for entire apartments and houses in College Park. Many allow you to filter out listings by price range, amenities
asking for support from the city council to proceed and more. Some offer maps so you can figure out a property’s proximity to this university’s campus.
with a neighborhood stabilization project that would
create more accessible, affordable housing and increase
homeownership in the city.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported the homeown-
Renter’s insurance information:
ership at 65.4 percent for the third quarter of 2021,
Renter’s insurance can protect you from a liability lawsuit as well as your personal property when unexpected events such as fires, flooding or vandalism
2 percent lower from 2020’s third quarter. In some
areas of College Park, such as Old Town, only about 20 occur, depending on the policy.
percent of properties are owner-occupied. Many major insurance companies hold renter’s insurance policies.
“It’s really important for homeowners to feel con- The average cost of renter’s insurance was $14.90 per month in 2021, according to Business Insider.
nected to the community … the percentage of home- You may also be covered by your parents’ insurance depending on their policy.
owners helps build a really strong community,” said
District 1 councilmember Kate Kennedy. Kennedy is
also the chair of the College Park City-University Part-
nership’s Neighborhood Preservation and Development
committee.
The project will likely require around $9 million or
$10 million to launch, Kennedy said during a Jan. 11
city council meeting.
To help reach that amount, Kennedy said the commit-
tee is asking for $3 million from the College Park City
Discover all that WAAVE has to offer:
Council to provide financial support for organizing the • 10% off for all UMD Students and Faculty
neighborhood stabilization and housing trust.
That $3 million would come from the city’s Ameri- A row of houses in College Park’s Old Town neighborhood on Jan. 25, 2022. A subcommittee of the College Park City-University Partnership wants to start a housing trust to
promote homeownership in neighborhoods where homeownership is low. daryl perry/the diamondback
• FREE New Patient Registration on-site
can Rescue Plan Act funding, a $22 million COVID-19
pandemic relief check College Park received from the How the shared equity will be split between the trust affordable housing, with a more long-term timeline. • Ask us how to get your medical card for FREE
federal government. and homebuyer has not been decided yet, Kennedy said. The hope is with a more stable market base in the
Kennedy said during the meeting that the plan The committee will present more details of the project community, local businesses will become stronger, • Referral program: bring a friend and save!!
would allow College Park’s graduate students, fam-
ilies, young professionals and seniors to have more
to the College Park City Council in February or March.
The committee is actively looking for additional
Kennedy said.
Kennedy added that if professors and university
Medical Cannabis Dispensary Stay well. Stay buoyant. With WAAVE.
access to housing. funding outside of the city council from the Univer- employees can afford a house near the university, it
To achieve accessibility, the housing trust will arrange sity of Maryland, Prince George’s County, the state of will cut back on traffic and pollution.
shared equity with the homebuyer. This means when Maryland and the federal government outside of ARPA. District 4 councilmember Denise Mitchell said she
someone in the program buys a property, the trust buys However, Kennedy noted the neighborhood stabiliza- was looking forward to more details about the neigh-
into it as well. This way when the house is sold, both tion and housing trust does not necessarily address the borhood stabilization, reassuring residents changes to
the homeowner and the trust receive a profit. need for more affordable rental housing in College Park. housing won’t happen quickly. Open 7 days a week
To receive financial assistance, homebuyers’ total Megha Sevalia, the SGA College Park City Council “There’s a lot of things we have to do internal to create
household income must be roughly under $180,000. liaison, said she hopes students are included in the and solidify what the concept will be,” Mitchell said.
Monday - Saturday 10am - 9pm • Sunday 11am - 7pm
Kennedy said different levels of support will be offered neighborhood stabilization process. College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn said he is sup-
based on participants’ income levels. “Overall, this isn’t really a student housing project,” portive of allocating the $3 million to help the project 7327 Hanover Parkway, Suite A, Greenbelt, MD 20770
After agreeing to share equity with the housing trust, Sevalia said. “But I am invested in ensuring that the and is awaiting more details from the committee.
homeowners must live on the property to ensure the parameters that are set for the project do not exclude “I think it seems like a really intriguing tool that we 240.436.0600 • mdwaave.com • greenbelt@mdwaave.com
home doesn’t become another rental. When homeown- students preemptively.” could use to accomplish a lot of different city objec-
ers decide to sell the house, the trust has the first option Kennedy said the College Park City Council plans to tives,” Wojahn said. “I think we’re eager to hear more.”
to purchase and sell the house to a new qualified owner. create a separate program to assist students in finding
6 affordable housing LAUNDRY 7
NEW APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION SPARKS FRUSTRATION,
REKINDLES HOUSING AFFORDABILITY WORRIES
As newer housing options grow, students’ concern for affordable housing does too.
By Shreya Vuttaluru | @ shreyavut | Staff writer
New apartments in the works on of the road, so that it’s easier for stu-
UMD plans to include unlimited laundry
Knox and Hartwick Road will bring dents to walk to campus,” he said. “And
businesses and housing to College frankly to take some pressure off of the
Park, but some students are taking is- Old Town and Calvert Hills neighboor-
sue with disruptions the construction hoods.”
is causing.
Four private student housing projects
have recently broken ground on Knox
and Hartwick Road, including Union
But the incessant noise that starts in
the early hours of the morning is exas-
perating for students such as Sophia
Kotschoubey, who lives in Allegany
in housing costs next fall
on Knox, The Hub, Aspen Heights and Hall. The building is adjacent to con- The Residential Facilities Department intends to readjust its current budget to
The Standard. All of them are expected
to be delivered in 2023 and 2024.
struction for The Hub. There has also
been an increase in the amount of dust
include laundry fees in housing costs for unlimited service beginning fall 2022.
Another project, the Aster by Bozzu- in the air, she said, making it difficult By Victoria Stavish | @victoriastavis | Staff writer
to and Terrapin Development Company, to breathe while she walks to class.
is not specifically aimed at students, “It’s driving me nuts,” the sopho- A student does his laundry in the Easton Hall laundry room on Nov. 14, 2021. autumn hengen/the diamondback
but will include a grocer on the floor, more environmental science and policy
according to Ken Ulman, president of major said. The University of Maryland residential we’re gonna do.” ited service could alleviate some payment about if I have enough money on my [Ter-
Terrapin Development Company. Aside from complaints about noise
facilities department is planning to include The RHA researched other Big Ten schools concerns. rapin Express] card to pay for laundry,” she
The increase in housing construction throughout the day, other students are
Four private student housing projects broke ground on Knox and Hartwick Road. julia nikhinson/the diamondback laundry fees in housing costs for unlimited that had similar laundry contracts and also “It’d be easier because I’m always worried said.
is a product of the successes of Terra- also concerned about overdevelopment
pin Row and South Campus Commons and the sheer number of construction ing at tools of how we can help work on service beginning fall 2022, according to conducted a survey of more than 500
rupting student life, he said.
apartments. The city of College Park projects occurring at the same time. This is especially true considering affordability.” Still, some students ar- Andrea Crabb, residential facilities director. students on their laundry facilities use
The university plans to readjust its current and preferences.
UMD STUDENTS - 5% Discount Off Rent *
and University of Maryland want to see Daniel Ben-Or, a senior computer the construction is happening all at en’t sure these new additions will help
more students living closer to campus science and finance major who lives in the same time, and the buildings won’t address the affordable housing problem budget that will result in no added cost to The survey found about 73 percent of
and within walking distance of the Col- College Park Towers on Hartwick Road, open for another two years. in the city. Kotschoubey thinks that students living on the campus. students who do not do their laundry on
lege Park Metro Station, Ulman said. isn’t necessarily opposed to develop- “The people who are most affected by prices likely won’t go down even when The university’s current laundry contract the campus do so because they find it too
“It’s really a part of a strategy to ment, but is worried about the magni- it — people living in off-campus hous- new apartments come online, and that with CSC ServiceWorks will end at the com- expensive.
have more student housing on that side tude of current projects, which are dis- ing — are the ones that the businesses that come into first- mencement of the spring 2022 semester after Jason Spizuoco, RHA vice president, One of a Kind. Now two.
constantly have to deal floor retail units will be bigger chains. 10 years, Crabb said. helped conduct the survey of student
with noise and reap none “The last thing that College Park
Under the current program, it costs $3 to laundry facility use and preference, and
of the benefits of lowered needs is more luxury housing. I think
wash and dry one load, but the new contract said he thinks the change to unlimited
cost of rent, hopefully we need more affordable housing for
students, and I kind of have a hunch is set to be designed to allow on-campus stu- laundry service will make the process
from more supply,” Ben-
Or said. that this is not going to be affordable dents unlimited access to laundry facilities less stressful for students.
The idea of increased housing,” she said. without having to pay per load, Crabb said. “A lot of times [students] have issues
supply leveling out cur- Ulman understands that the con- “We heard loud and clear that it’s really paying for laundry, like the Terrapin
rently skyrocketing struction can feel like a lot, especially hard to pay for laundry one load at a time Express doesn’t work, coin machines
housing prices isn’t new. given the continued construction on when you’re already paying on top of your don’t work, all that kind of stuff. And
Ulman, who also serves Route 1. housing fee,” Crabb said. it’s just a really big hassle,” Spizuoco said.
as chief strategy officer “We’re all feeling it,” he said. “I think During the spring 2022 semester, resi- Alexander Lee, a sophomore biochem-
for economic develop- we’re confident that it’s in the long Studio, 1, & 2 BR Homes
dential facilities will allow new companies istry major, agreed with Spizuoco.
ment at the University of term interest of our vision.” + TWO Resort-style saltwater pools with cabanas
to submit bids to enroll in a new contract “I think having to pay for laundry every
Maryland College Park But students such as Garrett Hill + TWO Rooftop bars with lounge seating
with the school, she said. single time, it’s kind of a hassle, kind of
Foundation — which cre- don’t seem to be buying into that vi-
The Residential Facilities Advisory Board, annoying,” Lee said. “But a one-time + TWO Clubrooms with billiards
ated Terrapin Develop- sion. The senior computer science ma-
ment Company — also jor believes that the new housing addi- a body comprised of senators from the Res- payment that’s incorporated into housing, + TWO Conference and co-working spaces
hopes that the injection tions won’t be affordable or available idence Hall Association, brought the idea I think that would be beneficial.” + TWO Fitness centers
of almost 4,000 new for students, and that developers and to the residential facilities team in the 2019 Risa Wagner, a freshman government + Pet-friendly and pet-free living options
beds into the housing landlords don’t have the interests of academic year, Crabb said. The RHA also and politics and history major said while + Garage parking available for all residents
market will help moder- students or small businesses at heart, passed a resolution in May in support of an she knows people who have unlimited + 1.5 blocks to New Carrollton Metro and Amtrak
ate pricing. pointing to the closing of Bagel Place unlimited laundry program. laundry service at other schools, she + Monthly social resident events
“We’re also very fo- and the movement of Marathon Deli. “I think it’s just beneficial to everyone,” thinks it might be, “a little bit wasteful
cused on finding ways “It’s not just the construction issue,” Crabb said. “[These are] the student fees in terms of water.”
to enable more afford- Hill said. “They’re all symptoms of a ( 240 ) 724-1304 *Restrictions do apply.
and if the students want to use the fees in Meanwhile, Jaime Quinn, a sophomore theremyapts.com
able units,” Ulman said. university and a development system
this manner then absolutely, that’s what civil engineering major, said the unlim- 7730 Harkins Rd | Lanham, MD 20706
“We’re constantly look- that puts profit over people.”
You can also read
