UCI On-Campus Housing Problems

Given that Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez in his email to Verano residents stated that

the ... increased costs related to the campus in-sourcing of landscape maintenance will not be implemented for 2006-07

there should be a rent decrease in Palo Verde.
These landscape maintenance costs are also a large section in the Palo Verde budget, and if they are not raising, the PV budget needs to reflect that, which logically results in a lower budget, and therefore lower rent (remember, UCI Housing is non-profit.)
With a revised budget, a rent decrease of 3% should be expected.

Following the uproar about rent increases and his meeting with students, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Manuel Gomez has sent this email to Verano residents:

Dear Verano Place Residents,

I write regarding the recently proposed budget and rental rate increases for Verano Place. I have reviewed the budget with Housing managers and have had the opportunity to dialogue with many graduate students. These interactions provided valuable insights.

I understand the financial pressures facing students and ask that the resident community understand that Student Affairs must operate fiscally sound housing operations. I am committed to finding a balance that will continue to provide affordability for residents.

As was communicated earlier, the cost of utilities and the in-sourcing of landscape maintenance are the two drivers of the proposed 8% rental increase. While the increased energy costs must be applied to next year's rent, I am pleased to inform you that the Verano Place increased costs related to the campus in-sourcing of landscape maintenance will not be implemented for 2006-07.
Therefore, the rental rates for Verano Place will increase by 4%, rather than 8%.

Additional issues raised during recent discussions are not addressed in this message. Please look forward to a future communication that will more fully articulate how Student Affairs and Housing will address a fuller range of graduate resident concerns.

Sincerely,

Manuel N. Gómez
Vice Chancellor
Student Affairs

While this is a first step in the right direction, it does not address the wasteful spending that the Housing administration engages in, which needs to be addressed ASAP.
The Housing Administration is spending tons of money on duplicate administration for Verano and Palo Verde, for example. Combining the PV and Verano housing offices would eliminate waste, and create a lot of synergy effects.
Another big money-wasting pit is the misuse of rent money for non-housing purposes, e.g., the so-called first-year initiative, which attempts to (badly) duplicate the established efforts of the International Office, the Career Center, and departmental Graduate Student Affairs offices. Housing's practice of misusing rent money for such misguided "programs" has to stop.

The recent uproar about unjustified rent increases in Verano has led the university administration to react:
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Manuel Gomez has agreed to meet with students.
This is happening on a very short notice, tomorrow, Thursday, May 25!
WHEN: THURSDAY, May 25th, 5:30 PM
WHERE: Old Recreation Center in Verano

For details, see www.lowerrent.org

Update: Housing seems to be getting cold feet...
They try hard to avoid announcing this meeting to residents. In fact, in PV, the PV Office mailed a notice claiming that it is a closed meeting.

There is no change. Everybody should show up!

Update2: AGS representatives have talked with Manuel Gomez, and according to him, any resident is welcome to participate as long as we are willing to stick to the agenda. According to him, the agenda is mainly focused on Verano rent increases.
So, everybody should show up!

Emergency meeting about on-campus RENT INCREASES

Earlier in the week, Verano residents have received a letter about a proposed rent increase of 8%.
Outraged Verano and Palo Verde residents have started a campaign to stop the proposed increase.
They have scheduled an Emergency Verano/PV Community meeting for Thursday, May 18.
I urge everybody in Verano and Palo Verde to attend that meeting.

The meeting info:

Worried about the RENT INCREASE in Verano and high rents in Palo Verde?!?
Want to do something to stop it?

Attend the emergency
VERANO/PV COMMUNITY MEETING! URGENT PARTICIPATION NEEDED!

WHEN: THURSDAY, May 18th, 6:30 PM

WHERE: OLD REC CENTER LAWN, VERANO

WHY: Get info about proposed rent increase & join the campaign to STOP IT!!!

For more information, go to www.lowerrent.org

Update:
Beverly Chaney, the Verano Director, sent out an email to all Verano Housing residents. One line in that email stands out:

With ... continuing efforts to converge the rates across Graduate and Family Housing, similar annual increases are anticipated over the next few years."

So, they are openly admitting that Verano is going to have similar increases every year for the next years. NOW is the time to stop this plan!

Palo Verde has hired a new Associate Director, Resident Life.
The email I got yesterday from the chair of the hiring committee states:

I wanted to let you know that Gerald [Parham, PV director] offered the position of the Associate Director, Resident Life to Kerri Sherwood. Her first day was today.

This position was held by Shelly Wang before, and had been vacant for 1/2 year.