Editor’s Note: This is a column and does not reflect the views or opinions of the Daily Barometer.
In recent years, it seems like Corvallis has been experiencing dramatic price increases in the housing market, leaving students wondering if it has always been so competitive and expensive.
I personally had trouble finding housing in my second year, particularly because I wanted to live somewhere north of campus so I could be close to Fred Meyer. Finding housing was limited for me because I didn’t have a car and I hated the idea of walking far from campus and wanted to live somewhere quiet.
I wanted to have my own bathroom and room, but that meant living by myself or living at places like the Retreat. Those places were too expensive for me, so I didn’t mind sharing a bathroom.
I tried to find a different apartment in my third year, but prices were the same everywhere and the thought of moving drained me. I thought about living in a townhouse with four other people, but I decided that I wanted to move too late.
My advice for students trying to save money and who don’t need a lot of kitchen space is to live in a townhouse with others, but start searching early. If you are late in finding a place, it is best to find just one roommate because most places only have two bedrooms. A lot of my friends who tried to find more than two-bedroom apartments late in the year had a hard time.
I spoke with Paul Bilotta, Corvallis community development director, about the housing crisis in Corvallis. He shared data on the national housing market and said Corvallis is also getting hit with the same price increases as the rest of America.
“All of these national trends hit Corvallis particularly hard because we had very low apartment vacancy rates even before the pandemic. For a long time, the city had regulations in place that made it very difficult to construct new apartment buildings,” Bilotta said.
I didn’t realize that the pandemic and city regulations have caused Corvallis to be unable to build more apartments.
As a student, it has been apparent that there are more students admitted every year, causing the housing market to be more competitive. It is necessary to have more housing options that are affordable and accessible.
According to Bilotta, the city has recognized this issue and approved 351 total units last year.
The Corvallis Housing Department predicts the city needs 177 new units every year, according to Bilotta.
“Last year, we produced almost twice that number, which is positive. In addition, if you compare Corvallis to the statewide housing growth rate, you’ll see we created about 21% more housing units than our peers around the state,” Bilotta said.
According to Bilotta, the city of Corvallis built two affordable apartment complexes last year, holding those 351 units for residents. These two complexes will not be available for students to rent. It is unsure if any of these units are available for students to rent in the future.
Hopefully, as other Corvallis residents fill the new units, more vacancies will open up elsewhere for students to rent.
Many landlords in the area are also getting hit with interest rates and having 5% vacancies, causing them to raise their prices, according to Bilotta.
Other students have been struggling to find housing in Corvallis. After leaving the dorms, students venture off to other options outside of campus.
I spoke with Rishita Chandra, a fourth-year computer science student who lived in the dorms her first year.
“I think the main struggle I faced was not knowing where to start the search for housing. There are so many different places with different property management, and it is hard to find information online. There is information online for the bigger places such as the Retreat and Sierra, however, their rent is more expensive,” Chandra said.
Finding apartments was tricky for me. It felt like I was constantly on Apartments.com or Craigslist, filtering out my preferences: Two bedrooms and one bathroom, close to campus. It felt like I was going to be homeless.
It was draining to call places to book an appointment for a showing. Luckily, my roommate found a place, and we signed the paperwork and got accepted. It felt like a huge relief. The thoughts of me staying on someone’s couch or going back home for the term were gone.
Students trying to find affordable housing should know they are not alone. Unfortunately, sometimes the cheaper vacancies are either a far walk or missing crucial amenities. The housing that fits the criteria of affordability, necessary amenities and walking distance are not always available.
It is often difficult to find units that are decently renovated and comfortable to live in as well as close enough to a grocery store for students without a car.
For students having a hard time finding housing, it may be helpful to find roommates to live with in a townhouse or to get on the hunt early. If you are house-hunting late, it may be necessary to live somewhere further away and take free transportation such as the Beaver bus or the local city bus.
“I think the best thing might be to join the OSU student housing Facebook group and talk to people about potential options. Another piece of advice is to download Zillow and set alerts for the type of housing you are looking for,” Chandra said.
Bilotta mentioned that it is important for students to start hunting early, a year in advance.
“If students get out looking early, they can snap up apartments in many cases long before non-students even start looking,” Bilotta said.
Not only is finding housing off-campus difficult, but the dorms at OSU are increasingly full. I spoke to Kieran Vahle, a third-year student majoring in mechanical engineering, who lived in the dorms his freshman year. He was expecting a double room, but got a triple room instead.
“While having two roommates was really cramped, I appreciated having more people to get to know and spend time with,” Vahle said.
The dorms can be a great place to live if you are okay with two other roommates and meeting new friends. It all depends on personal comfort. For me, I need my privacy.
“It worked out alright for me and I don’t mind there being more people. However, I know that for some people it turned out pretty badly with two of the roommates becoming great friends and starting to gossip about the third,” Vahle said.
It seems like OSU admitted more students than previous years because there are many students living in triple rooms rather than doubles.
Finding student housing is a problem on-campus as well as off-campus, but I am hopeful that the new dorm and new units off-campus will improve the housing situation for everyone.