Current Housing Crisis Affects Rutgers Camden
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For students at Rutgers-Camden, the national housing crisis is a source of anxiety, academic distraction, and long-term uncertainty. With the cost of both on-campus and off-campus living steadily increasing in the Philadelphia/ South Jersey region, students are being forced to make difficult trade-offs that directly affect their college experience.
The perspective of Lauren Rich, a student residing at 330 Cooper Street, one of the university’s newer on-campus housing options, highlights the core dilemma; choosing convenience over cost-efficiency often leads to deep financial stress.
“High housing costs and the stress of making sure rent /fees are paid definitely raise my anxiety,” Rich stated. “Even though 330 Cooper is convenient, the price feels high for what we get, and worrying about affordability adds to overall stress, especially during busy academic weeks.”
Rich raises a major challenge that while on-campus living at Rutgers-Camden offers valuable amenities like security, proximity to classes and complimentary laundry, the per-semester rates place a heavy burden on students already managing tuition and fees.
The student acknowledges that although their choice of on-campus housing, while financially stressful, provides the benefit of convenience. Being close to class and campus events directly supports academic engagement. However, the compromise is visible in their description of the living conditions: “Yes, Cooper can get loud at times especially being right next to that main road and sharing spaces makes it harder to focus.”
This suggests that even for a relatively high price, the quality of the academic environment is compromised by external factors such as traffic noise. The alternative would be living off-campus, however that is not necessarily cheaper, but involves different trade-offs. The high cost of housing, whether on or off campus, is a significant contributor to the mental health crisis among college students.
The housing crisis forces students to consider not just their present college years, but their entire future in the region. Lauren Rich expressed a clear sense of hesitancy about establishing roots locally after graduation. “It makes me hesitant. Seeing how expensive rent is in the area makes me reconsider staying local after graduating because affordability feels uncertain.” This viewpoint is particularly concerning for South Jersey and Philadelphia, which rely on local universities to feed into their regional economies.
Despite the widespread financial strain, the student body is aware of the campus resources designed to combat basic needs insecurity, “Yes, I know about the campus food pantry, emergency funds, and the Dean of Students office offering help. I haven’t personally used them, but I know other students who have relied on those resources.” The existence and utilization of these resources emphasize the importance of the issue of financial stability at a fundamental level.
A direct solution to this presented by the student was, “Lower housing costs or create more affordable on-campus options. Even small fee reductions or more transparency about where housing money goes would make a big difference.” This highlights a desire for transparency and proactive affordability measures from the university administration, suggesting that small adjustments could significantly reduce student anxiety and improve the overall academic experience.
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