Blasting rental housing to rubble is not the smartest way to win the hearts of college students. Then again, warm student-resident relations never seem to be the modus operandi for city operations.
Pending an approval of a $2.3 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the city of East Lansing plans to level 24 houses on the 600 block of Virginia Avenue. In their place, six townhouses, 12 condominiums and 21 single-family homes are waiting to be built. Like most action by City of East Lansing officials in recent months, it suggests their preference for permanent residents compared to student renters.
It looks bad, especially with most student housing slowly migrating north of campus, and lingering thoughts of how more permanent residents provide more tax revenue for the city. And for the city government, financially the move might seem right, but not when it sets a precedent on eminent domain laws that make student renters and landlords cringe.
This precedent could cause a catastrophic backslide in the freedoms of people living within East Lansing limits. People need to be able to trust, not fear, the government of their own city.
Right now, the city's power to force eviction for reasons other than health or safety-code violations are somewhat vague. It is our duty as students and citizens to push for reform and become politically active in municipal government if we disagree with the powers given to the city by the people.
Students should organize and put a candidate up for a city council seat in every possible election, not just when they disagree with one ordinance. Only then will MSU's student population have any true voice in city government. Voting wouldn't hurt, either.
The city could post flyers for an elected student liaison to East Lansing City Council along the walls near political science and constitutional democracy classrooms.
Since the university has been around for nearly 150 years, this is not a new problem. There hasn't been a person who didn't know that East Lansing was home to one of the largest student populations in the country.
Legislation that seems to push for a more aggressive stance against students makes a larger problem out of an issue the city always has faced while watching MSU grow.
East Lansing's government needs to take more initiative and give something back to the students. Students should be greeted in their own neighborhoods by welcome wagons rather than ominous police cruisers.
It's only then that students will feel all warm, fuzzy and happy for their university town and want to settle down to build their own family.
Once there is a more active and friendly link between the students and the municipal government, some of the problems the city faces with students could slowly disappear. But under no circumstances is indirectly turning away from students or driving them out a smart or sound choice.
