San Diego is My Home

20
Nov

Mini-Dorms Redux

Author: HelenKay, Category: City Council, Housing, SDSU

The City Council met last night to discuss the always divisive issue of mini-dorms.  For those who have missed the lawn signs and vocal arguments, mini-dorms happen when a group of students move into a residential neighborhood, rent out a house and turn what was a nice little cottage on a quiet neighborhood into a home for 50 partying college kids. 

Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the point. 

The real problem is the serious lack of housing options for local students.  The result is the mini-dorm mess and a bunch of angry non-student neighbors.  Two proposed ordinances addressing these issues went before the Council.  One passed.  It requires $1000 yearly permits for homes with more than six occupants.  The idea is to provide an economic disincentive…I think.  The second was a rooming house proposal relating to the number of leases allowed and required per house.   That one did not pass due to wording issues.  The expectation is that is will be rewritten and re-submitted.

The end result?  No one is happy.  The proponents of the ordinances feel as if no one is listening or willing to do anything.  The opponents think the yearly permit fee is overkill.  The issue of insufficient student housing  - ie, the underlying problem - remains unaddressed, so the students are no better off either.

Kind of makes you wonder what the “right” answer is, doesn’t it?