By Andrea Chajin | Guest Contributor
I recently got a troubling phone call from a friend of mine. He told me that he had just been informed that his rent was going to increase by 50% next semester by the property management company, so he was looking for a new place. This is a problem that is affecting a large part of the community in Waco, but especially international students at Baylor, who face many financial obstacles.
As aforementioned, the real estate market is going up. Many attribute this to the fact that Magnolia continues to expand in the area, increasing the demand and cost of housing. It is also said that high demand for apartments by students is a contributing factor. This year, first-year student applications at Baylor shattered records. Although students initially live in residence halls, as they move up in years, they move off campus.
Off-campus housing is limited, and it can be difficult to find reasonable options even in a year without an increase in students. Despite the high rent, many apartments are poorly furnished. Most only come with a bed, sofa and table for the kitchen area. All other things must be purchased by students. Domestic students often have support from family members who help them move to campus. If not, there are church programs to borrow a few items, such as a nightstand, bicycle or lamp. But international students still face the difficulty of transporting items, since most don’t have vehicles.
These challenges came up in another conversation with friends about how international students were managing monthly expenses. One of my friends told me his monthly budget for groceries was $50, and he took the rest of the food he needed from The Store — the university food pantry. I was surprised. Fortunately, this friend is close, so I asked him if he was eating well. He said no. So although the food pantry is helpful, many times it does not have animal proteins or a variety of fresh vegetables. But that was the trade-off for being able to pay his rent.
For some students, food is sacrificed (both in quality and quantity) in order to afford expenses that are essential, such as rent and transportation. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defines food security as having steady access to sufficient and safe food with adequate nutrition. International students are not always privileged to be a part of this population, as studies show they are more likely to suffer from food insecurity than domestic students.
I had to know if others were struggling with this, so I sent a WhatsApp poll to several groups of international students that I am part of and asked them the question, “What percentage of your income goes to pay for housing?” More than half responded that they put more than 50% toward their housing expenses.
Galen Price, the housing and community development director of Waco, told KXXV that “if you’re spending more than 50% of your income on your housing costs, that’s considered severely cost burdened.”
Although increases in rent may affect various sectors of the population, international students face additional burdens. For example, F1 Visa holders can only work up to 20 hours per week. In addition to this restriction, their only employer can be the university. This is challenging because the university often offers student salaries that are low compared to the off-campus job market.
A study that surveyed international students found that “students reported difficulties with finding affordable, adequate, and suitable housing; with finances, stemming from their ability to work or find employment and from currency fluctuations.”
I believe there are at least a couple of strategies to reduce the impact of this problem. There are universities, like the University of Tulsa, that have dorms specifically geared toward international students. This has several advantages. One is cultural exchange. Another is that if they are managed by the university, their prices can be regulated and not left to the decision of private companies that can unexpectedly raise the rent by high percentages. While North Russell Hall is home to the Baylor and Beyond Living-Learning Community and the majority of first-year international students, the issue remains after freshman year.
Another solution could be for Baylor to help hold property management groups accountable. While private companies have the freedom to set the prices they want, they must respect a certain degree of corporate social responsibility. If high prices are leading students to suffer from food insecurity, stress and anxiety, isn’t it a moral call to provide affordable housing for them? I believe there are advocacy efforts we can engage in this regard.
Another solution could be to establish an apartment complex near campus only for international students and to set a lower price. These apartments could also come better furnished to prevent international students from having to incur additional expenses for household items.
As a Christian university, Baylor has the opportunity to use its resources and influence to be more hospitable to those coming from afar. While efforts are certainly being made — and I don’t take those of the Center for Global Engagement for granted — I think there are still some things we can do in the public, private and academic sectors. International students are an asset to the local and global community through their studies and contributions. However, they need to be welcomed into the community and shown care in order to thrive.
