Bugs, busted appliances, and unbearable heat—just another day living on campus.
By Taya Bohenko, Staff Reporter
I’ve lived in on-campus housing for the past two years, and I think I can safely speak for a lot of my neighbors when I say there are plenty of problems with these residences. Some of the issues are minor, to be honest, but there are enough big problems that make living here pretty uncomfortable.
The buildings are in bad shape overall, and there’s no air conditioning. And then there are all the little “guests” who, let’s just say, don’t pay rent but still help themselves to all the food.
CSUDH plans to open a new residence hall next fall, but given the current budget issues, there is still uncertainty over whether existing apartments will see an upgrade.
Riley Burke, a senior business student, has lived in the university apartments for three years and has encountered some of the same “frustrating” problems.
“Our kitchen drawers don’t even properly open and close. Last year, our fridge was constantly leaking and browning,” Burke told me. “We’d make reports, and it’d either get ignored or housing would come and fix it, but then it would start leaking again.”
Burke said that when she began furnishing the balcony, miscommunication between housing staff and resident assistants led to confusion about what was allowed. (FYI: CSUDH housing policy says conventional patio furniture and certain decor are allowed on balconies.)
“One said we cannot have furniture. The other said we can’t have decor,” said Burke. “We were given a warning and after calling the supervisor for clarification, we might have to take both down, yet our license agreement states otherwise.”
This sort of miscommunication and misinformation can make students confused about their rights and responsibilities.
With complaints coming in semester after semester, it’s difficult for students to call these apartments their home for the year. While some buildings are newly refurbished, others are decaying with noticeable cracks and crevices.
You can tell which apartments are newer and which are older. Take a look at the stairs or even the building itself: one is noticeably cleaner than the other—and that’s just on the outside.
“I’ve seen different bugs getting in through holes on the outside of our tub,” said Alyssa Edwards, a senior criminology student and current resident. “Silverfish is one of them, and the only thing we can do is use bug spray.”
I can vouch for what seems to be the steady presence of creepy-crawlies. Sometimes they appear when the door is open, but they shouldn’t be getting through crevices in the corners of the walls. Sometimes you just need to look upward and you’ll find something crawling around.
“We’ve seen spiders coming up through the cracks in the walls. It’s pretty disgusting,” Edwards said. “That’s not something you want to wake up to.”
Speaking of outside, I mentioned there’s no air conditioning, right?
Due to limited space, the apartments heat up quickly. You don’t even need a blanket sometimes at night. While students can request fans, it’s often not enough to stay cool throughout the day and night.
Laurel Durkin has six fans running in her apartment, but even that is not enough for her to feel cool and refreshed.
“It’s uncomfortable living here, and when I first moved in, it was difficult trying to sleep,” said Durkin, a senior business student. “After the sunset, it can feel somewhat nice with the breeze, but we have to keep the door open for air. Yet, that gives room for bugs to get in. It’s a downward spiral.”
High temperatures during the summer and early fall make it difficult for residents to stay comfortable, especially without air conditioning. I’m a student-athlete on the women’s soccer team, and after practicing outside in the sun for two hours, all I want is to cool off and rest once I come back home. Most of the time, though, I just deal with it.
I know I am not the first to raise these concerns. The Bulletin previously reported on these issues in December 2022. I also reached out to University Housing for comment about the state of on-campus residences, but did not receive a response at press time.
Now, the question is, can these problems be fixed? The short answer, I think, is yes. Of course, these things will take some time—and probably a lot of money—but you’ve got to start somewhere. Safe, secure, and sanitary housing is vital to the student success, especially at campuses like CSUDH.
We can’t overlook the students who continue to live in these apartments, especially with the upcoming opening of the new residence hall. All students should feel comfortable within their on-campus living environment, regardless of whether the building is old or newly constructed.