HannahMagarian

WRT303
FeatureArticle
WrestlingWithRenters
Onecouldsayitstartedwiththethrowingofamailbox,asitsoaredoverthousandsof
studentsheads,cars,andlawns.Somesaythisisagrossexaggeration,buteitherwayithasbeen
ayearofmuchanticipationinNarragansettRhodeIsland.Localsareanxiouslyawaitingthelaw
topassorberejectedthatwilllimitthenumberoftheUniversityofRhodeIslandstudentrenters
livinginbeachhomes.Thesuggestedlimitisforfourstudentsperhomeaccordingtothe
proposedordinance.Inthemeantime,localsarewaiting,asarestudentsandlandlords,whoare
fightingtheproposedordinance.Themajorreasonforthetensionandurgencyoftheordinance?
DuringtheschoolyearNarragansettRIhousesthemajorityofthe10,083URIstudentslivingoff
campus(URI,2016).Thiscontroversyhasbeengoingonformanyyearsbetweenstudentlife
andlocals,butitreallytookoffin2014whenanoffcampusriotbrokeoutandlocalshadhad
enough,thiscorrespondswiththeimagebelowoftheairbornemailbox.(TheIndependent2014.)
Sincethenfineshavebeenincreasedto$500fornuisanceviolations,parkingincollege

Neighborhoodsonthe
rateforrentalregistrationforlandlords
(The

street,aswellasanincreased
from$50to$85
Independent2014.
Theabove
photocredit:NBC
10News,May8th
2014
Whilesome

localssaythesemeasurestakenarenotenough;landlords,students,URI,andthestateofRhode
IslandareworriedthatthisordinancewillpreventstudentsfromrentinginNarragansett.This
worrystemsfromthe$726milliontheUniversityhasdirectlyandindirectlyaffected,aswellas
the1,100jobsand$82millioninspendingdonebythevisitorsandfamiliesoftheUniversity
(URI,2016).Thinkrestaurants,coffeeshops,bars,landscaping,andlifeguardingforexamples.
Nonetheless,studentsarerestless,Atthenextmeeting,ifthereisone,therewillbean
overwhelmingURIpresenceinattendance,saysseniorCMDmajorandPresidentofher
sorority,KatieB.,studentsarereadytofighttheordinanceandarealreadytalkinglogistics,if
theordinancehappenstopassinthiscomingschoolyear.Myhousehas8girlslivinginit,
splittingheatinthewinter8waysisfine,butwhathappensinthefuturewhenonly4girlscan
livethere,noonewillwanttosplitutilitybills,saidseniorelementaryeducationmajorMolly
M.inarecentinterview.Shealsoexplainednotonlyherfear,butalsoherlandlordsfearand
angersincehemakesalivingoffoftheschoolyearrentals,andthis8personhousebeingoneif
hisbiggest,isatriskforlimitationafterthiscomingschoolyear.Ourlandlordisterrifiedand

downrightangryattheproposal,Mollyexplains.Thisfearoffinancialstruggleisntonlyafear
forlandlords,manystudentssavemoneylivingoffcampusratherthanpayingfordorms,which
thisordinancecouldincreasefinancialhardshipforalreadydifficultoutofstatetuition.Senior
DanielleH.reports,ItssadthatImthankfulthisismylastyear,sinceIcouldntpaytoliveon
campuspastfreshmenyear,Ifeelforthosewithoutofstatetuitionwhomayhavetomoveback
tocampus.
Whathappenswhenlocalsarentinagreementeither?LocalMatunuckfamilythe
Bishopsclaimthat,Itseemsasifmostoftheneededjobsintheareaareheldbystudents.In
aninterviewwiththem,theysharedthattheordinanceoflimitingthenumberofstudentsper
housewilldecreasethenumberofjobsfilledoffcampus,andthelargerideathatlimitingthe
numberofstudentslivinginahomedoesntchangethosestudentsstilllivingtheretheabilityto
throwaparty.Wehavehadournightsofannoyance,weliveablockfromtheOceanMist,so
wehavetheafter1amrule.Ifthekidsbotherusafter1amthenwestarttogetupset,thefamily
reported.
Landlordsintheareahaveformedthe2100Group,accordingtoBetsyCournoyer,a
localaswellasalandlordoftheareafor6years,thisgroupisspeakingoutagainsttheproposed
changesinhopestocontinuerentingouttheirhomestostudents.Cournoyeralsogoesonto
explainthatnotonlyarelandlordsmakingalivingfromthesehomes,manylandlordslivein
thisareayearroundaswell,somethingtheywillnolongerbeabletoaffordtodoiftheycannot
rentoutmorethan4personhomestostudents.
ItalsoseemsasifNarragansettcantaffordthelossofstudentseither.Mybuddyisa
localbartenderinthearea,andsheclaimsshewouldstarveifitwerentforthebusyURInights

atthebar,Cournoyerclaims.Inaddition,CournoyerexplainsthatNarragansettscostofliving
isjusttooexpensivetobeafamilytownstrictlywiththecostoftheaveragehousebeing
around385,000dollarsthisexpectationisnotrealistic.Thereisalsoveryfewopportunitiesto
workinthesametownthatyoulivein,Cournoyerexplains,andthisiswheretheURIstudents
comeintoplaywiththeeconomyofthelocalarea.Itsjustaboutcollegebarseither,manylocal
businessesrelyoncollegestudentstobetheiremployeesduringtheschoolyear,andmanyend
upworkinginthesummer.LocalcoffeehouseslikeJavaMadnessandCoffeeConnection,as
wellasrestaurantslikeMatunuckOysterBarandIslandDelihavepredominantlystudent
employment.

PhotoCredit:ZillowHome
Details

Somemightsaythatthisissuestartedwiththeriotin2014thattookplaceinEastward
look,aneighborhoodinNarragansettthatisprimarilyURIstudentsduringtheschoolyear.This
riot(intheinitialpictureonpage1)hasbeenthestemofmanyordinancesaswellasangerfor

thosepushingtopassthisnewrule.However,the2100Groupisouttofightitwiththestatistics
thattheoverallrateofreportandincidencehasactuallydecreasedinthelastcoupleofyears,
accordingtothe2100GroupaswellasCournoyer.Howeverlocalsandofficialshaveadifferent
feelingaccordingtoTheIndependent,Alotofthecomplaintsarenotofthe1,2,300person
party.Theyareofthekidsleavingat2a.m.slammingdoors,beepinghorns,yellingateach
other,[things]thatdontnecessarilymeetwhattheordinancerequiresforasticker.Youlookat
itandsay,Wevebeentothathousefourtimesforthesamething,thatsnowanuisance,
Hoxsiesaid,explaininghowthedepartmentwillemployabroaderdefinitionofnuisancein
thefuture.(TheIndependent2014.)HoxsieistheNarragansettPoliceChiefwhoclaimsthese
issuesarefairlycommoncomplaintsofURIstudentrenters.Inthepictureaboveonpage3,this
isaneighborhoodnexttotheneighborhoodoftheinfamousriot,justtoillustratehowmany
homesarerentedbystudents,andinthisneighborhoodinAngellRoad,themajorityofthe
housesarestudentfilledSeptembertoMay.
Thereasonforthepush?Some,yessome,studentshavelefthousesinturmoilandhave
causedapublicdisturbanceleadingsomemembersofthecommunitytowantURIstudentsout.
EvenantiordinanceCournoyerclaimsthatattheinitialmeetingfortheordinancetheURI
housingdepartmenthadnothingtosay.Welandlordsareprovidingaservicebyproviding
alternativehousingtodorms,andURIhasdonevirtuallynothingtoaddressthisissue,says
Cournoyer.SomelandlordsfeelasiftheUniversityshouldalsobenotifiedtoholdstudents
accountable,thiswaytheruleswillbetakenmoreseriouslyandhavemoreserious
consequences,beforeimplementingthisextremeordinanceintothecommunity.

Cournoyeralsohasgonefurthertosaythatshecanunderstandwherelocalsarecoming
from,thispastyearshehadarowdiergrouplocatedonherstreet,andwhileshewasntoneto
fileanoisecomplaint,herneighborsacrossthestreetwere.Shefurtherwentontoexplainthat
thishousewassometimesaslightdisturbance,butwhenshemettheboysandranintothemon
occasion,theywerenothingbutrespectfulandsweet.Cournoyerreportedthatshehasneverhad
issueswithpartyingordisturbancewithhertenants,although,herboyfriendwhoalsorentsouta
coupleofhomes,hashadsomeissueswithtenants.Theoccasionalstickerwasnteventhe
problemasCournoyerexplained,oneofthetenantsofherboyfriendsfivepersonhomehad
brokenawindow,ruinedamattress,andevenleftamessofthebedroomwall.Accordingto
Cournoyer,whenshesenttheissuestotherentersparents,theywerenothingbutdefensiveas
willasnoncompliant.Icancompletelyunderstandwhythereissuchastrongantistudent
sentimentincertainneighborhoods.Forfolksthatarefulltimeresidents,Iamsureitis
disturbingtoseeapropertyfullofkidsandcars,noonewantstoseethis,claimsCournoyer,
butsheandherfellowlandlordshaveanalternativeideatotheproposal.Shewentontoshare
herphilosophythatifyougivestudentsrespectandaniceproperty,itwillbereturned.That
beingsaid,ifthetownwasmorecompliantwithinspectionandlegalbedrooms,thingscould
reallychange.Cournoyerwentontoexplainthatsomeillegalbedroomsgounnoticedand
studentsdontfeeltheneedtorespectabedroomtheyarepayingforwhichalsodoublesasa
laundryroom.Inall,therearebetterwaystolookatthisproblemaccordingtolocallandlords.
Itisnotyetreportedwhatwouldhappentothoselivinginlargenumberedhomesthis
comingschoolyeariftheordinancedoesgothrough,andstudentshavealreadysignedyear
leasestofillthesehouses.Thesolutionfornow?Alotoftheseproblemscouldbesolvedif

peoplejusthadmorecommonsenseandcivility,saysCournoyer.However,forthecommittee
andlocalswantingtheordinancetopass,thissimplyisntenoughandtheywantstudents
removedfromtheareaassoonaspossible.Inthemeantime,thetownofNarragansettRI,
landlords,students,businesses,andofficialswillhavetowaituntilthisfallbeforeafinal
decisionwillbemade.