The On-Campus Housing Council is demonstrating its opposition to the increase in on-campus housing fees by organizing a student petition.
The petition is available for all on-campus residents to sign at tables designated for selling formal bids. The tables are set up in the lobbies of residence halls and throughout on-campus housing.
On-campus housing fees will increase by 8 percent for the next academic year, as dictated by the housing master plan.
This money will be used to build more on-campus housing in order to meet the university’s need to house the increasing number of incoming students. The university projects 4,000 additional students by 2010.
“All of the increase is directly going to build more bed spaces.” said Michael Foraker, director of Housing.
Since Housing does not receive any aid from outside sources, the money is needed to cover the payments for new housing.
A joint resolution by OCHC and the Undergraduate Students Association Council argues that though the state mandates an increase in the number of students admitted to the university, the state is offering no solution in terms of housing these additional students.
In an ongoing struggle to cover the costs associated with the expansion of on-campus housing, the Office of Residential Life and OCHC’s elected representatives are reviewing the existing programs.
“Some programs will be modified or eliminated,” said Foraker.
And though the budget designated for operating several programs is being cut, residents will still be paying more and receiving fewer services.
“Between the construction noise and the fee increase, we are definitely stuck with the bad end of this deal,” said Eileen Soriano, a first-year business economics student and Rieber Hall resident.
“This would not be as big of an issue if we would get to see the benefits firsthand,” she added.
As part of the UCLA Student Housing Master plan, the housing fees are estimated to increase up to 35 percent in the next five years.
By the time the Master Plan is completed, the fee increases will affect approximately 9,044 UCLA undergraduates, and 2,000 UCLA graduate students.
“I don’t pay for housing myself, but the fee increase could in the long run disable some students from attending,” said Amber Gosney, a first-year psychology student and Hedrick Hall resident.
Contrary to what the Master Plan has projected, when it comes to housing a larger number of students, the fee increase could have side effects such as more students choosing to live off campus.
According to the OCHC Web site, a rising interest in off-campus apartments could encourage owners of nearby apartments to raise rental rates.
OCHC is not leaving the petitions as the only way to voice student concerns.
In the upcoming week, the council will be sending out postcards to on-campus residents for them to sign and return, expressing their opposition to housing fee increases.
“We want to make the residents’ voice known,” said Michelle Sivert, Hedrick Hall external vice president and OCHC chairwoman.
The petitions, along with the signed postcards, will later be sent to the University of California Office of the President. However, they will have no impact on reducing next year’s fees because that decision is already made, Foraker said.