The off-campus housing options available to Macalester students may change significantly this summer if the St. Paul City Council passes a resolution sponsored by Saint Paul City Councilmember Jay Benanav.

Benanav's resolution, first reported by The Mac Weekly on Feb. 14, would place serious restrictions on the ability of students to live in houses and duplexes.

The resolution demands that single- or multi-family residences that house students be more than 350 feet apart.

The resolution gives teeth to an existing St. Paul city law that prevents more than four unrelated persons from living together in one house or duplex.

The resolution also prevents students from living in residences with fewer than two city-authorized parking spaces. Apartments, fraternity and sorority houses, and homes with rooms rented to students are exempt from the restrictions.

Benanav's resolution requires landlords to register all homes that they are renting to students.

If the resolution passes, rental properties that currently house students would be "grandfathered." In other words, current student residences would be exempt from the registration process and subsequent restrictions, unless the residences are occupied by non-students for a year or longer.

"We don't want [Ward Four] to become another Dinky Town," Benanav said at a Tuesday meeting of the Macalester-Groveland Community Council Housing and Land Use Committee. "Dispersal is not necessarily a bad thing."

"[The resolution] is not an attempt to keep all students out," Benanav said. "We want the right number [of students], but right now the balance is tipped… I don't understand why people are against balance."

Benanav also hopes that his resolution, if passed, would encourage St. Paul colleges to build more on-campus housing. Additionally, he has expressed his support for a student housing development on University Avenue.

According to Benanav, the current "over-concentration" of students in his ward creates problems for non-student residents. "Without a doubt, I get morecalls about student housing issues than any other issue," he said.

Benanav says that it is a minority of student renters that cause neighbors' complaints.

Welna also recognizes neighbors concern for what he deems "party houses." These neighbors, says Welna, "think that the problem of student concentration needed to be solved yesterday."

Benanav says his resolution gives student renters additional recourse against absentee landlords who do not adequately maintain their properties.

Benanav claims that students, who are generally short-term residents, allow homes to fall into disrepair because they are less likely to report negligent landlords.

"If you walk around the neighborhood, you can probably point out most of the student housing," Benanav said.

At the Macalester-Groveland meeting, Benanav said that the city once discovered a student rental residence whose foundation was being held up by hydraulic tire jacks.

Benanav claims that the registration process included in the resolution will provide the city with additional oversight to ensure that students are not living in sub-standard conditions.

"Right now we can't go in unless the house is falling down, " Benanav said.

Some attendees of the Macalester-Groveland meeting expressed concern that regulations would be difficult to enact. Welna pointed out that the city of St. Paul's recent budget problems would probably result in even less enforcement.

Benanav believes that regardless of how well the city can enforce the living standards aspect of his resolution, the standards are still very important to pass into law.

"Any time you have any statute or ordinance, you have an enforcement issue." Benanav said. "This would be a tool for the city to make the neighborhood more liveable."

According to Welna, area residents are particularly worried about maintaining property values, especially those with their retirement assets in their residences. "On a principal basis, I agree with what [Benanav] is doing," said Welna. "His solution is not the right one, but it is the only one on the table."
 

Colleges' Reaction
 

Some Macalester administrators are worried that Benanav's resolution punishes Macalester students for the actions of students at other local colleges. These administrators believe that the majority of community members' complaints against students are not targeted at Macalester students, but mostly at St. Thomas students.

Director of Residential Life Sarah Griesse is skeptical about Benanav's motivation. "The core issue keeps moving," Griesse said. "What is Benanav's issue? What is he trying to get at?"

Griesse says she does not agree that the resolution will help students who have negligent landlords. "Our students who live live off-campus are very respectful of the neighborhood," Griesse said. "I can very much vouch for our students."

Additionally, Griesse worries that forcing off-campus students further from campus would strain their connection to the Macalester community.

"One of the reasons students come to Macalester is the college's urban environment and a part of that is the opportunity to live close by off campus," she said.

Hamline University Interim Dean of Students Sherri Crahen is also skeptical of Benanav's intentions.

"The issue stems to stem around landlords, but that is not the issue being addressed," Crahen said. "It would be more appropriate to be talking with absentee landlords."

A representative from St. Thomas was unavailable for comment at press time.
 

Effects on Rents
 

Benanav said at the Macalester-Groveland meeting that he does not believe his resolution, if passed, will have an effect on rents in St. Paul. Welna and Smith, however, disagree with Benanav on this issue.

"Any economist will tell you that this will push prices up near campus," said Welna.

"This limits supply for students and limits demand for other renters," Smith said. "Who are the landlords going to rent to if they can't rent to students?"
 

Discriminating against students
 

At the Macalester-Groveland meeting, Benanav said that since the Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution does not give students, as a group, the same protections against discrimination as race, gender, and ethnic groups, he is justified in singling out student residences from other houses.

Benanav's willingness to discriminate against students concerned several meeting attendees including Griesse. Griesse was particular upset with Benanav for saying "… I am discriminating against students because I can." Benanav was answering a question from an attendee when he made the statement.

"I was personally and professionally offended by [that comment.]" Griesse said.