BYU students temporarily 'on street'

Potentially hundreds of Brigham Young University students are finding themselves without housing contracts — virtually homeless — this week.

And students say there is little they can do but mooch off family and friends — or simply live in their cars.

Jesse Davison, a BYU senior, experienced the same problem last year. Because of the gap between his move-out date and his move-in date for his new apartment complex, he was left homeless for about 12 days. His family is from Oregon, and he has no family in the area. Fortunately, Davison's roommate had family nearby and invited him to stay for the time he's in limbo.

"If it wasn't for Burke, I don't know what I would have done," Davison said of his roommate. "I probably would have stored my belongings in a storage unit and slept in my car."

Many BYU students often end up in precarious situations come the end of each semester. Not only do they have to worry about finals and finances, but students moving into new apartments have to deal with gaps in their housing contracts. Most of the complexes in Provo create at least a seven-day gap between contracts to provide maintenance and cleaning before new tenants move in.

Single undergraduate students are required to live in approved housing while attending BYU. "The university seeks to have an environment for its single students living on and off campus that is conducive to their moral and spiritual growth and their academic performance," according to the BYU Off-Campus Housing Handbook.

"It seems stupid that they basically make thousands of students homeless," Davison complained of the BYU contracted student housing.

However, apartment managers and BYU housing representatives argue that students are given plenty of warning to find somewhere to stay during this time.

"I know it's difficult for students," said Danielle Johnson, property manager of Riviera Apartments. However, students know when they sign their contracts when they will be required to move in and out. The students have time to plan what they will do between semesters, she said.

BYU spokesman Todd Hollingshead explained that BYU has no responsibility regarding the contracts students make with private entities. However, students have the responsibility to read and understand their housing contracts before signing them. The students then have at least an entire semester to decide what they will do during the break between contracts.

In a nonscientific, door-to-door survey of 78 BYU students who said they were moving between semesters, 12 will be able to move from their current apartment into their new one all in the same day. For the other 66 students, they will have to find somewhere to stay for an average of 10.42 days.