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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 Look within and ask: Is war necessary? ... Smoking ban session draws little response ... Translating Shakespeare into modern English ... Look within and ask: Is war necessary? ... Smoking ban session draws little response ... Translating Shakespeare into modern English ... ONGOING COVERAGE: AFFORDABLE HOUSING Students make case for city action on rental fairness Comment By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Mar. 14, 2016 at 8:46 PM By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Mar. 14, 2016 at 8:46 PM » Social News Southern Oregon University students have taken their concerns about students finding rental housing in a tight market to the city of Ashland Council in hopes of getting help. The “Fair Housing Campaign” is a project of the Associated Students of SOU to deal with what they feel is discrimination based on their status as students. “We’re looking at restricting limitations based on age and sources of income. We’re not looking at making students a protected class but many times the age of the applicant or how they get their money, like from a student loan, can limit their access to rental housing,” says Councilor Pam Marsh. “We kept hearing more and more stories about students who are having struggles finding housing. Especially because enrollment rates are going up and (campus) housing doesn't have enough units for everyone on campus,” said ASSOU Public Relations Officer and Campaign Manager Megan Mercier in a recent article published in SOU’s student newspaper, The Siskiyou. ASSOU has created an anonymous survey for students so they can describe their experiences in finding rental housing. The group has additionally asked property managers to describe their experiences and policies. Rental homeowners and property managers point out an extremely tight market with few available places to rent. The vacancy rate stands at less than 2 percent. Landlords have the right to rent to the applicant with the highest levels of qualifications, such as a longer rental history and higher income. Even with restrictions limited around age and source of income landlords may still impose rules requiring income of three times higher than rent and income verification as well as history and references. Some students still may not qualify but it’s likely many may. “We believe that property companies have the right to discern who will make a good tenant and who would not. The problem with this policy is that they are putting a blanket over students as a whole, which disenfranchises students who have families, years of rental experience or even home ownership experience who simply want to live closer to the university,” responded Mercier, “... that doesn't make it right to exclude 6,000 students as a whole” she told The Siskiyou. Councilor Carol Voison has supported the change in language, as has Marsh, and the council as a whole agreed to move forward with formulating how best to address the situation after hearing statements in its study session Monday, March 14. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ @julieakins. By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Mar. 14, 2016 at 8:46 PM » 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