Councilor Ross is at it again. Apparently he thinks last years law to limit undergraduate students to 4 bedroom apartments or less is not intrusive or discriminating enough. Now he wants the colleges to do his dirty work. Councilor Ross has proposed that the Universities in Boston should keep records of and track their students who live off campus.

It seems that the City Council President is a little miffed that the Inspectional Service Department (ISD) is having trouble enforcing his discriminatory law. The Boston Globe reports:

But the law has largely been flouted by students and landlords alike, and the city’s Inspectional Services Department has said that federal privacy laws hamper their ability to determine whether the occupants of overcrowded apartments are students.

I wonder if anyone mentioned this to Mr. Ross as he was drafting the law? It would be very easy for me to rant on about this subject but I would like to point out what someone on Boston.com had to say about this proposal.

How on earth are the colleges going to be expected to sort through which students in their database are subject to the law, since grad students aren’t subject to the new law?

On top of violating the student’s privacy and aiding and abetting a discriminatory law, the universities would then be responsible for figuring out what year and course of study the students are pursuing. Would a student in a 5 year BA/MA program be considered an undergrad, or a grad student? Would a first-year master’s student living with 4 undergrads break the law?

The law is stupid and should be stricken. If you don’t like off-campus housing, let the schools build dorms!

I would guarantee that most of the “problems”, beyond noise and littering, and some public drunkenness here and there, in A-B and Mission Hill is caused by the full-time residents. College students aren’t in gangs, they’re not roving bands of thieves and armed rapists, and most don’t have weapons, which constitute the bulk of the crime in those parts of the city.
by thisisdumb09 February 11, 3:36 PM

It looks like the universities in town agree with thisisdumb09 the Boston Globe reports a “cool” response from university officials who have more important things to do then act as big brother. Instead of dealing with this legal quagmire they would rather have a realistic chance at developing campus housing. Unfortunately neighborhood associations are fighting Boston College over expansion in Brighton, the same holds true for Harvard in Lower Allston, and Suffolk University on Beacon Hill.

Everyone wants college kids to stay on campus. Unfortunately when the campuses run out of available housing and need to expand the neighborhoods scream to the high heavens and foolish laws/proposals like this current one are the by-product. End this viscous circle. The next time Councilor Ross’ constituents complain about Northeastern or BU expanding he should remind them about the late night parties and overall outlandishness undergraduates are stereotyped with and suggest that this is a chance to get them back on campus.

Click Here for the original article by John C. Drake of the Boston Globe.

Click Here to register your opinion with Councilor Michael Ross.

Filed under: Boston Real Estate Editorial