As reported earlier this year by the Boston Herald, Boston College plans to restrict students from living in one- and two-family homes in Allston, Brighton, and Chestnut Hill as part of its future housing plans.
The restrictions will go into effect once the construction of housing on the Brighton Campus is complete - a project that will add 500 beds to the former archdiocese property.
Vice President for Government and Community Affairs Tom Keady said he believes that the measure will eliminate most of the problems off campus.
Over the years, residents of Foster Street, Gerald Street, Radnor Road, and other neighborhoods near BC student houses have identified 38 problem homes, all of which are owned by absentee landlords.
"It all comes down to behavior," Keady said, adding that the bulk of the problems off campus do come from students living in one- and two-family houses owned by absentee landlords.
Agreeing not to live in one- or two-family homes off campus would become a condition of enrollment for students, Keady said.
Keady attributes part of the problem to changes in the real -estate market.
"Seven years ago there were not many students living in one- to two-family houses," Keady said.
BC students living off campus have traditionally lived in apartments on South Street or in Cleveland Circle. Recently, though, students have also opted for larger homes.
When real estate prices increased, older people chose to sell their houses at these higher prices, as they never expected their homes to be worth so much.
When other families were unable to purchase the homes at such high prices, speculators stepped in. Speculators were able to pay for the overpriced homes, and then tapped into the previously untouched student market.
Off-campus houses tend to be closer to campus, are better quality homes, provide parking, have bigger bedrooms, and allow students to live with more friends.
Students living in residential neighborhoods, however, create an interesting dynamic.
Keady pointed out that Radnor Road is split between houses owned by absentee landlords and occupied by students, and houses that are owner-occupied.
Arrangements such as this, he said, are the culprit for creating tension in the neighborhoods.
Off-campus homes may not always provide higher quality living though. Keady cited the housing violations on Kirkwood Road earlier this year, in which the 62-64 Kirkwood building was found to be unfit for habitation.
Despite the promise of quieter residential neighborhoods, Brighton residents are still not satisfied with the plan. Up until the end of the comment period on Feb. 5, they were still lobbying for 100 percent on-campus housing.
"We still have students who commute," Keady said.
Students studying abroad and those commuting preclude BC from ever housing 100 percent of its students.
Many students, however, are unhappy with the implications of the plan.
"That's ridiculous. People should be able to choose where they live, especially since its off campus," said Frank Forde, A&S '10.
"Not everyone wants the apartment lifestyle, some people want a house, especially if you have a lot of people you want to live with."
Vlad Georgescu, CSOM '10, expressed a similar sentiment. "God forbid a bunch of students throw a party off campus while enrolled in college.
"This is just another example of the administration wasting effort to please the neighbors instead of its own students, and another reason why BC equals no fun allowed," he said.
Keady pointed out that while students are quick to use the 'we were here first' argument, citing BC's institutional history in the neighborhood, they must put themselves in the neighbors' shoes.
"What if this was your parents? What if a bunch of college students moved next to your house?" Keady said.
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