Members of ASMSU's Student Assembly were boisterous Thursday night in their denouncement of the City of East Lansing's plans to demolish houses on Virginia Avenue.
The city is waiting to hear approval for a $2.3 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Development that would allow them to demolish 24 houses on Virginia Avenue between Snyder Road and Burcham Drive.
The houses would be replaced with 39 new permanent housing units, ranging in cost from $100,000 to $250,000.
Members of MSU's undergraduate student government were concerned about the elimination of rental housing to make way for permanent properties.
Student Assembly Vice Chairperson Andrew Bell led the heated discussion on the demolition of Virginia's 600 block.
"The city is trying to bring more money into their school system, and I support city council in that," he said. "But no way can I support an ordinance for something that wrecks student housing."
Bell also questioned the future of East Lansing housing and where students will be able to rent.
"We had a record number of freshmen this year," he said. "The housing situation won't get any better if students live farther away."
Derek Wallbank, representative for the Council of Students with Disabilities, doubted East Lansing's commitment to its residents.
"City council worries about property value first and citizens second," he said. "We need to say 'no more' to this pattern."
Wallbank referenced the location of Northern Tier housing and Abbott Road congestion to show his dismay of eliminating rental properties closer to campus.
Stephanie Gingerich, an East Lansing community development analyst, said the 600 block project aims to attract more permanent homeowners to increase enrollment in the school district.
She addressed MSU's undergraduate student government's concern that East Lansing is too affluent for a HUD loan - something considered a development tool for lower-income cities.
"This is a typical way of approaching a project like this," she said. "East Lansing doesn't have the money for real estate like this."
Gingerich also said ASMSU has not filled a seat on the East Lansing Housing and Neighborhood Services Inc., a group that will be involved with 12 of the low-income units.
