Historical February–March 2017 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
To the Skinker DeBaliviere community: We, the undersigned, are longtime neighborhood residents and supporters with a strong interest in the preservation of our housing stock.
We have joined together to examine how our institutions are addressing housing questions, fiduciary responsibility, and a serious problem which has barely touched the radar.
In many cities and towns, university and college undergraduate students tend to take over adjacent neighborhoods as de facto student housing.
This process has been referred to as “studentification.” It is difficult to reverse but can be attenuated by joint action of neighbors, property owners, the educational institution and local officials. Studentification is here in Skinker DeBaliviere.
On a few blocks, over a quarter of the single family homes are owned by absentee landlords who rent to undergraduate students.
These same absentee landlords also own property throughout Skinker DeBaliviere, from single family homes, two families and apartment buildings.
The presence of undergraduate students is a mixed blessing.
They contribute considerable foot traffic which aids safety, for example, but exhibit a teenage lifestyle that is difficult to live with. Their landlords often try to ignore city conservation inspections, thereby evading city property maintenance standards and fire and safety inspections. Rather than renting to a family, couple, older adult or young professional, these owners market to undergraduates and often pack them in their houses and apartment units to maximize profits.
The St. Louis zoning code prohibits more than three unrelated adults living together in a single family dwelling unit.
This law is now frequently broken in our neighborhood! Skinker DeBaliviere, with its sizeable grouping of multi-family housing, has had and will have student residents particularly under graduate students. That being said, occupancy restrictions, health and safety ordinances, etc. are more important than ever. Long term residents have supplied those who were active in the preservation of the neighborhood.
These were the volunteers at events, those who joined the council and its committees. Without them, the neighborhood would not have achieved the stability with diversity it has. Students will always be among us; it would be foolish to think otherwise.
However, we should work to see that our residential housing stock – both single and multiple family not turn any further into undergraduate student dormitories.
This will take effort.
If that effort is not made, studentification will become a reality and this beautiful historic area will be home to long term residents no longer.
We are calling on the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Housing Corporation, Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council, Washington University, as well as City officials, our political representatives, and other property owners to respond to this outreach and work with us to come up with drastic and immediate solutions to address these important issues. Susie Feinberg Karleen Hoerr Mark Gorman Dan McGuire Lana Stein JoAnn Vatcha
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2017.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2017_02.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
