When Keyly Arcos, an interior design major at SF State, moved into University Park South, she expected an upgrade from living in Mary Park Hall. However, when she unlocked her door to her new home, she was welcomed with a clogged bathtub, trash being left behind and the unit reeking of cigarettes. She was not expecting this for the $1,450 unit she is paying for.
Arcos and other students will have an increase of $100 for rent in the 2023-2024 academic year, while residents in Towers will have a $100 decrease.
Students have found this out through the housing application.
Arcos has attended SF State for three years and has lived on campus for two years.
“I was unaware that some freshman communities’ housing prices were going down while upperclassmen were increasing,” Arcos said in an email. “I am actually upset because upperclassmen get less and less financial help as the years go by while fresh incoming students usually get the most amount of financial help because it is their first year.”
Arcos said that she doesn’t get enough money with financial aid to help her with her rent and with the higher prices, she is thinking of living off-campus.
“Especially since 2023-2024 is my last year of college, I am stressing over housing plans instead of focusing on classes needed to graduate and preparing for life after college,” Arcos said.
According to Arcos, she wants SF State to use their money to fix the units first before raising rent because the money students are paying is not living up to the units they deserve.
“Some students don’t call housing services to help with things wrong in the house because it has a pattern of being unreliable,” Arcos said.
Miguel Ramirez is a philosophy major who has been living and attending SF State since 2019.
According to Ramirez, the rise in rent is not a surprise to him because in the last two years that he has been living in University Park North, the rent has gone up by $100 each year.
“I feel like of course like first it shouldn’t be that expensive and second it shouldn’t be going up. I feel like they are taking advantage of the students,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said he doesn’t feel too insecure about paying the rent, but he isn’t sure if the college will let him renew his lease for the unit since he will graduate in Fall 2023.
“If not then I have to really find a place,” Ramirez said, “Which really does scare me because we’re only college students and there’s a whole problem of credit and how much you’re making.”
Ramirez hopes the college will decide to make programs for students to pay rent or have subsidized rent in order to help. If there isn’t any help, Ramirez wants to know what the college is doing for students.
“Whoever is in charge of making the cost of living in the housing, like, what is their actual intent? Is it just a business or is it actually helping students?” Ramirez said.
Abigail Seaman is an accounting major who transferred to SF State this spring. She has been living in Manzanita Square since January.
According to Seaman, she pays up to $1,700-$1,800 for rent.
“Personally, it won’t affect me much. I am extremely fortunate to have parents that were able to plan for mine and my brother’s education,” Seaman said in an email.
However, she knows some people have told her that they can’t afford that extra money being put towards their rent.
“I think that the college should understand they are in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Students already pay ridiculous prices for other basic necessities like groceries,” Seaman said. “I understand the life of a student is frugal, but increasing student rent prices can only make it worse for students who are already struggling financially.”
Seaman has three more semesters at SF State but said that she wants the college to focus on the safety of students.
“I’ve gotten a lot of emails of students that were found unresponsive, mugged on campus, or worse. I should be able to feel safe and welcome on campus at all times,” Seaman said.
The housing department has not commented at this time.
