UNR’s new housing options leave returning students in limbo
Uncommon’s apartment-style offerings uncertain.
by. Krystal Carter
As of Tuesday, Feb. 18, the University of Nevada, Reno signed a lease with Uncommon Reno, making it first-year student priority housing and leaving returning student applicants flustered to find affordable apartment-style housing for next semester.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the process for finding and securing housing for next semester is even more worrisome and a financial handicap to some students.
“It’s put a delay on applying for housing through the University,” says student Dejiah Cobb, a freshman business major who was waiting to sign her pending lease with Uncommon Reno.
“Depending on what they assign me determines if I’m living on or off-campus. Which means I’m running out of time to make that decision,” adds Dejiah referring to how COVID-19 has affected her housing plans for next semester.
On March 3, the Nevada Sagebrush published an article informing the wolf pack community on the university’s recent housing decisions. Before this publication, a majority of the community was oblivious to this contract. Some had to find out from their parents.
“It doesn’t seem like UNR considered the impact this would have on students.”
Shatana Harris-Cobb, mother of Dejiah Cobb, has noticed that UNR’s contract with Uncommon is forcing her daughter to be more financially responsible. Considering, the amount of housing fees usually included in Dejiah’s tuition will now most likely be paid out of pocket.
“It doesn’t seem like UNR considered the impact this would have on students,” said Shatana. She went on to add that the university should “absolutely” be responsible for ensuring that students who had pending applications with Uncommon have priority housing in these apartments.
In the time between the university signing the contract with Uncommon and shutting its campus down, they’ve managed to update their website to advertise Uncommon and its amenities to first-year students.
Thus, leaving Dejiah and Shatana to speculate that UNR is using Uncommon as a prop to draw first-year students into the amazing facilities offered by the university.
“When I looked at the website, it definitely looks like it’s propaganda, but that’s really how all apartments market themselves whether it’s on campus or off-campus,” argued Shatana. Her daughter agreed, stating, “If I was applying for college I would definitely look at this website and make the choice to stay in an apartment over a dorm.”
According to the Nevada Sagebrush, the contract between the university and both Uncommon and Canyon flats totals to $10.1 million. The contract that the university signed with Circus Circus totaled to $21.6 million, including a possible extension for the 2020–2021 academic year.
“Why sign another contract that’s gonna require more money when you already signed a contract that would’ve lasted a little longer?” asked Shatana. “Now you’re forcing students to find more housing instead of staying where they are.”
UNR hit its current students with a low, unexpected blow, leaving many to doubt how much they can rely on them.
Given that Uncommon was one of the more affordable student apartments near campus, Dejiah implies that many upperclassmen are frustrated with the university.
“Deciding to make Uncommon primarily for freshmen after upperclassmen had already started applying and getting things in order to sign a lease was a huge disadvantage to us.”
Instead of staying at these cheaper apartments or applying through the university, most will have to pay for more expensive leases as a result of Uncommon being priority first-year student housing.
“I feel like they didn’t take into consideration all of the upperclassmen who were looking for places to stay,” said Dejiah. “Deciding to make Uncommon primarily for freshmen after upperclassmen had already started applying and getting things in order to sign a lease was a huge disadvantage to us.”
“I would like to see UNR care more for all of their students.”
To Dejiah and Shatana, UNR hit its current students with a low, unexpected blow, leaving many to doubt how much they can rely on them. The mother and daughter duo would love to see the University of Nevada, Reno communicate better with its community, especially, when their living situations are being jeopardized to attract first-year students.
“I noticed that as a first-year student, we do get more attention than upperclassmen and there are more accommodations for us than there are for upperclassmen success,” explained Dejiah. “I would like to see UNR care more for all of their students.”
Even though the Nevada Sagebrush deduced that the university is excited to announce next year’s housing options, they may have to worry about a lack of retention coming from returning students.
While we await the 2020–2021 return housing applications from the university, students who are now left scavenging for affordable housing should remain hopeful and continue searching for other options in the meantime.
— end —
Dejiah Cobb: dejiah2001@gmail.com Shatana Harris-Cobb: Mrscobb14@gmail.com
