State College is a college town. Most of the people who live in, work in and visit the town are here because of Penn State.
You can't have a college town without students, and you can't have students if you don't give them somewhere to live.
With a shortage of student housing as it is, we don't need any more regulations limiting where we can live. And yet, the State College Borough Council has proposed amending the definition of student housing to maintain a balance of student and homeowner residents -- in other words, students might face limitation of where they can live.
That said, it's a mild limitation, and the practical application of such a proposal likely won't affect many students. It would more heavily enforce the 225 feet -- or two houses -- offset regulation between student-owned houses. While some students purchase homes -- or have their parents purchase them and put the student's name on the deed -- most instead choose to rent from local Realtors.
In the grand scheme of student housing, it may not amount to much. However, a measure that limits students from housing opportunities in State College is unsettling. Students cannot control the population density in the borough and are crunched as it is. They're accepted to Penn State and are required to live on a campus for a year, sometimes choosing to stay longer. But Penn State simply cannot accommodate the number of students enrolled, and students eventually look to live off-campus. If buying a home is the best option for that student or his parents, he shouldn't be discriminated against for being a student.
We understand if the Borough is trying to establish a tax base. They want people who pay taxes to move to State College and purchase homes, which in turn means keeping students out of these homes. But if the Borough wants to do this, it should take visible measures to address the other side -- perhaps lobbying the university to add more student housing on campus or to control enrollment; working out the more-than two decade-old West End revitalization plan.
Living in State College as a student is expensive and crowded. It shouldn't be made harder.
