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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW AHS breaks ground on new field ... Jackson County elected officials to get pay raises ... Making ancient stories new again ... AHS breaks ground on new field ... Jackson County elected officials to get pay raises ... Making ancient stories new again ... OUR VIEW Our View: A nice idea, but ... Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The affordable housing problem is real. Rental vacancy rates are nearly nonexistent, rents are rising as a result and new units are only now starting to be built as the construction industry claws its way out of the recession. So it's only natural to look at some empty buildings full of usable living space and say, why are we letting that go to waste? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The empty buildings in this case are Southern Oregon University's abandoned Cascade dormitories. Jerry Gander, executive chef for SOU's Stevenson Union, says they could be put to use as housing for SOU students and others who are priced out of the Ashland rental market. At first glance, the idea sounds intriguing, and logical. Why let all those dorm rooms go to waste? There are several reasons, actually. For one thing, the buildings are more than half a century old, and would need major renovation. They are so energy inefficient that when they were still in use they gobbled up 60 percent of the university's steam heat. Are impoverished students and others prepared to compensate SOU for that cost? For another thing, the dorms occupy a prime location on campus, a spot university officials have plans for. The ground floors house various university departments while renovations are underway. Finally, the university is not obligated to be a landlord for non-students, nor would that be advisable, for security reasons if nothing else. Affordable housing solutions are needed. But obsolete dormitories isn't one of them. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501