Please join me in signing the petition to protect our Oaklands neighborhood from the increasing trend of single-family homes being converted into student rentals.
I have submitted the following letter to the town council, outlining our shared concerns about the impact of these conversions on our community. It's crucial that we come together to address these issues and advocate for policies that will preserve the character and stability of our neighborhood.
Your support is vital in making our voices heard and ensuring that Oaklands remains a welcoming and cohesive community for families and long-term residents.
Dear Newark Town Council,
I am reaching out to you today to share some concerns regarding a growing trend that is impacting our neighborhood, particularly in the Oaklands area. The issue at hand is not simply the increasing number of student rentals, but rather the encroachment of these rentals into single-family neighborhoods. This trend poses a significant threat to the character and integrity of our community.
Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of college students renting single-family homes in Newark. Enrollment at the University of Delaware over the past ten years has increased by approximately 10%, with the Newark campus growing from 20,550 students in 2013 to 22,623 students in 2023. Concurrently, the university has continued to reduce its on-campus housing offerings. As a result, there has been a corresponding increase in the demand for off-campus housing, leading to a surge in student rentals. The consequences of this trend are far-reaching. Specifically, neighborhoods in the East Park Place and East Cleveland Avenue areas, and more recently in my neighborhood, Oaklands, and even Fairfield, have been particularly affected. These areas, once predominantly occupied by full-time residents and families, have seen a dramatic shift as more properties are being rented to college students. The consequences of this shift include:
- Investors are buying single-family homes to convert into rental properties, reducing supply and pricing out families who want to buy. As more homes are converted into student rentals, fewer options are available for families looking to settle. This rising demand for student rentals drives up home prices and reduces inventory. The lack of available housing for long-term residents undermines the town’s ability to grow and maintain a balanced community, exacerbating issues of community cohesion and altering the stability and character of our neighborhoods.
- The transient nature of student rentals has led to a decline in community cohesion. Long-term residents, who typically take pride in their homes and invest in building relationships with their neighbors, may feel a loss of the neighborhood’s identity and a weakening of social ties. In contrast, student tenants are often short-term occupants with little incentive to integrate into the community or maintain their properties. This erodes the sense of community and makes it difficult to foster lasting connections among residents.
- Student renters, who may only reside in these homes for a year or less, often do not maintain the properties to the same standard as long-term homeowners. This can result in an increase in litter, poorly maintained lawns, and general neglect of the properties they occupy. Consequently, the overall aesthetic appeal of our neighborhood diminishes, which can deter potential new residents from moving into the area.
- With more students living in these traditionally family-oriented neighborhoods, there have been frequent gatherings and parties that extend late into the night, disrupting the peace and quiet that many of us moved here to enjoy. These constant noise disturbances not only affect our ability to rest but also create a stressful environment for families with young children and elderly residents.
- Parking has also become a significant issue due to the influx of student renters in single-family neighborhoods. Many student tenants own multiple vehicles, leading to overcrowded streets and a shortage of available parking spaces for residents and their guests. This congestion not only poses safety risks for children playing outside and for emergency vehicles needing to navigate our streets quickly, but it also highlights that many homes are not equipped to handle the number of vehicles associated with student housing.
It is crucial for the town council to consider these impacts when addressing housing policies and to explore solutions that balance the needs of the growing student population with those of permanent residents. Council should be encouraging more multifamily student housing complexes within approved zones specifically designed for student accommodation. By providing purpose-built housing for students, we can alleviate the strain on single-family neighborhoods while also offering students suitable living arrangements that promote responsible community integration.
The town can implement regulations to ensure that student housing developments are strategically located and adequately equipped to meet the needs of both students and surrounding residents. These regulations may include stricter rental regulations within single family neighborhoods such as occupancy limits and restrictions on the number of student rentals within certain neighborhoods. The town of West Chester, PA can be looked at as an example on the effectiveness of such policies.
I urge the council to take these concerns seriously and to work towards policies that will preserve the character and quality of life in our neighborhood. By encouraging the development of high-density student housing in designated areas and protecting residential neighborhoods from being overrun by student rentals, we can create a more harmonious and sustainable community for all residents.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Updates
July 29, 2024
The Town Council ignores us because they think we are scattered and weak but this surge in momentum proves them wrong. We are forcing them to look at what they have allowed to happen to our streets. Keep the pressure steady until they stop treating our neighborhood like a dormitory annex.
9 Comments
The university has hundreds of acres of undeveloped land on the campus. If they don't want to build student housing they can instead sell some of that property contiguous to the campus to private developers.
The parking situation is already a total disaster with all these extra cars crammed into driveways and on the street. Something needs to change before it gets even worse.
Can you tell us what the status of the petition is and the plan going forward?
I agree. They have already started to develop it. But I think we need to be really careful here. A lot of the development in recent years has been done in car-oriented ways that favors students owning cars and this makes traffic worse and then we get noise, pollution, and congestion. And Newark becomes a sea of asphault, no greenspace, and more of a runoff problem. Look at Amstel Way, Smyth Ct, and Cochran Way as examples. Garage-on-street, one-way-in one-way-out developments. We need a traditional development structure with a grid of through streets, built around foot traffic, but also lots of trees and greenspace. Crosswalks, light timing that favors pedestrians. Remove mandatory parking minimums. Better public transit. Shade everywhere so that it's pleasant to walk even in summer. Make it more pleasant to live without a car, and more expensive and more difficult to use a car, especially in the downtown. Attract and reward students who come to campus without a car. Also make it more realistic for low-income people to live car-free in Newark.
I recently bought a house in Oakland, and I share your concerns with the housing shortage and rising housing prices, and with noise and traffic, but I'm not comfortable signing this petition as-is. I think you are blaming students unfairly. My big complaint about noise is not student parties, it's landscaping noise. The noise ordinance is very strict on parties, and the police are good at shutting down any party if you call. But they do nothing about landscaping noise, because the ordinance is written to give it a full exception. I also share your concern with traffic and students choosing to bring cars to campus. But I don't think students are the problem, nor do I think favoring single-family housing is a good idea here. Favoring single-family housing will contribute to the housing shortage. We need to allow more density, and we need to remove parking minimums. And I know this is a tough pill for some people to swallow but we need to allow parking prices in the downtown to increase. Overall I think we need to stop favoring cars over pedestrians. We need to start favoring pedestrians. We need better public transit, we need traffic signals that favor pedestrians over cars. We need to stop prioritizing driver speed and comfort over pedestrian safety and convenience.
I recently bought a home in Oaklands. I agree there is a housing shortage and housing has become unaffordable in Newark for many people. I also share concerns about traffic and increased car ownership. However, I am not comfortable signing this petition. I think it unfairly targets students, and does not correctly identify the causes of the traffic problem. I also disagree about students being the biggest problem as far as noise is concerned. I AM concerned about noise, but Newark already has an effective noise ordinance for late-night parties. Any time you call Newark police about a party, they come out and shut it down. There are steep fines and a threat of eviction for multiple offenses. Because of this, at worst, there will be a one-time party from one house and usually once the police shut it down, people will be quieter from then on. However, I have a frequent and persistent complaint about noise from landscaping equipment, like ride-on mowers, and gas-powered leafblowers. A lot of these operate at levels that are high enough to cause hearing damage, and that would be illegal for motor vehicles on roads, or for any other type of equipment. Whereas cars have noise and emission regulations, there are weak or no regulations on the pollution and noise emitted by landscaping equipment. Recently there has also been a troubling trend of people cutting down trees and mulching them on-site. Mulching takes hours and is incredibly loud. I work from home and the noise disrupts my ability to do my work, and is a source of stress and majorly affects my quality of life. The noise ordinance does nothing to stop this noise. If I call the police, they cannot take any action because of the ordinance gives an unconditional exception to landscaping equipment. There is no decibel limit, no duration limit, and landscaping noise is allowed as early as 7AM. I cannot count how many times I've been woken up by landscaping noise. Landscaping equipment even drives on roads e
Please protect our young children
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Please join me in signing the petition to protect our Oaklands neighborhood from the increasing trend of single-family homes being converted into student rentals.
I have submitted the following letter to the town council, outlining our shared concerns about the impact of these conversions on our community. It's crucial that we come together to address these issues and advocate for policies that will preserve the character and stability of our neighborhood.
Your support is vital in making our voices heard and ensuring that Oaklands remains a welcoming and cohesive community for families and long-term residents.
Dear Newark Town Council,
I am reaching out to you today to share some concerns regarding a growing trend that is impacting our neighborhood, particularly in the Oaklands area. The issue at hand is not simply the increasing number of student rentals, but rather the encroachment of these rentals into single-family neighborhoods. This trend poses a significant threat to the character and integrity of our community.
Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of college students renting single-family homes in Newark. Enrollment at the University of Delaware over the past ten years has increased by approximately 10%, with the Newark campus growing from 20,550 students in 2013 to 22,623 students in 2023. Concurrently, the university has continued to reduce its on-campus housing offerings. As a result, there has been a corresponding increase in the demand for off-campus housing, leading to a surge in student rentals. The consequences of this trend are far-reaching. Specifically, neighborhoods in the East Park Place and East Cleveland Avenue areas, and more recently in my neighborhood, Oaklands, and even Fairfield, have been particularly affected. These areas, once predominantly occupied by full-time residents and families, have seen a dramatic shift as more properties are being rented to college students. The consequences of this shift include:
- Investors are buying single-family homes to convert into rental properties, reducing supply and pricing out families who want to buy. As more homes are converted into student rentals, fewer options are available for families looking to settle. This rising demand for student rentals drives up home prices and reduces inventory. The lack of available housing for long-term residents undermines the town’s ability to grow and maintain a balanced community, exacerbating issues of community cohesion and altering the stability and character of our neighborhoods.
- The transient nature of student rentals has led to a decline in community cohesion. Long-term residents, who typically take pride in their homes and invest in building relationships with their neighbors, may feel a loss of the neighborhood’s identity and a weakening of social ties. In contrast, student tenants are often short-term occupants with little incentive to integrate into the community or maintain their properties. This erodes the sense of community and makes it difficult to foster lasting connections among residents.
- Student renters, who may only reside in these homes for a year or less, often do not maintain the properties to the same standard as long-term homeowners. This can result in an increase in litter, poorly maintained lawns, and general neglect of the properties they occupy. Consequently, the overall aesthetic appeal of our neighborhood diminishes, which can deter potential new residents from moving into the area.
- With more students living in these traditionally family-oriented neighborhoods, there have been frequent gatherings and parties that extend late into the night, disrupting the peace and quiet that many of us moved here to enjoy. These constant noise disturbances not only affect our ability to rest but also create a stressful environment for families with young children and elderly residents.
- Parking has also become a significant issue due to the influx of student renters in single-family neighborhoods. Many student tenants own multiple vehicles, leading to overcrowded streets and a shortage of available parking spaces for residents and their guests. This congestion not only poses safety risks for children playing outside and for emergency vehicles needing to navigate our streets quickly, but it also highlights that many homes are not equipped to handle the number of vehicles associated with student housing.
It is crucial for the town council to consider these impacts when addressing housing policies and to explore solutions that balance the needs of the growing student population with those of permanent residents. Council should be encouraging more multifamily student housing complexes within approved zones specifically designed for student accommodation. By providing purpose-built housing for students, we can alleviate the strain on single-family neighborhoods while also offering students suitable living arrangements that promote responsible community integration.
The town can implement regulations to ensure that student housing developments are strategically located and adequately equipped to meet the needs of both students and surrounding residents. These regulations may include stricter rental regulations within single family neighborhoods such as occupancy limits and restrictions on the number of student rentals within certain neighborhoods. The town of West Chester, PA can be looked at as an example on the effectiveness of such policies.
I urge the council to take these concerns seriously and to work towards policies that will preserve the character and quality of life in our neighborhood. By encouraging the development of high-density student housing in designated areas and protecting residential neighborhoods from being overrun by student rentals, we can create a more harmonious and sustainable community for all residents.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Updates
July 29, 2024
The Town Council ignores us because they think we are scattered and weak but this surge in momentum proves them wrong. We are forcing them to look at what they have allowed to happen to our streets. Keep the pressure steady until they stop treating our neighborhood like a dormitory annex.
9 Comments
As a 50 year resident, I too have been concerned about this recent trend in the Oaklands. Hopefully the City will support our concerns.
The university has hundreds of acres of undeveloped land on the campus. If they don't want to build student housing they can instead sell some of that property contiguous to the campus to private developers.
The parking situation is already a total disaster with all these extra cars crammed into driveways and on the street. Something needs to change before it gets even worse.
Can you tell us what the status of the petition is and the plan going forward?
I agree. They have already started to develop it. But I think we need to be really careful here. A lot of the development in recent years has been done in car-oriented ways that favors students owning cars and this makes traffic worse and then we get noise, pollution, and congestion. And Newark becomes a sea of asphault, no greenspace, and more of a runoff problem. Look at Amstel Way, Smyth Ct, and Cochran Way as examples. Garage-on-street, one-way-in one-way-out developments. We need a traditional development structure with a grid of through streets, built around foot traffic, but also lots of trees and greenspace. Crosswalks, light timing that favors pedestrians. Remove mandatory parking minimums. Better public transit. Shade everywhere so that it's pleasant to walk even in summer. Make it more pleasant to live without a car, and more expensive and more difficult to use a car, especially in the downtown. Attract and reward students who come to campus without a car. Also make it more realistic for low-income people to live car-free in Newark.
I recently bought a house in Oakland, and I share your concerns with the housing shortage and rising housing prices, and with noise and traffic, but I'm not comfortable signing this petition as-is. I think you are blaming students unfairly. My big complaint about noise is not student parties, it's landscaping noise. The noise ordinance is very strict on parties, and the police are good at shutting down any party if you call. But they do nothing about landscaping noise, because the ordinance is written to give it a full exception. I also share your concern with traffic and students choosing to bring cars to campus. But I don't think students are the problem, nor do I think favoring single-family housing is a good idea here. Favoring single-family housing will contribute to the housing shortage. We need to allow more density, and we need to remove parking minimums. And I know this is a tough pill for some people to swallow but we need to allow parking prices in the downtown to increase. Overall I think we need to stop favoring cars over pedestrians. We need to start favoring pedestrians. We need better public transit, we need traffic signals that favor pedestrians over cars. We need to stop prioritizing driver speed and comfort over pedestrian safety and convenience.
I recently bought a home in Oaklands. I agree there is a housing shortage and housing has become unaffordable in Newark for many people. I also share concerns about traffic and increased car ownership. However, I am not comfortable signing this petition. I think it unfairly targets students, and does not correctly identify the causes of the traffic problem. I also disagree about students being the biggest problem as far as noise is concerned. I AM concerned about noise, but Newark already has an effective noise ordinance for late-night parties. Any time you call Newark police about a party, they come out and shut it down. There are steep fines and a threat of eviction for multiple offenses. Because of this, at worst, there will be a one-time party from one house and usually once the police shut it down, people will be quieter from then on. However, I have a frequent and persistent complaint about noise from landscaping equipment, like ride-on mowers, and gas-powered leafblowers. A lot of these operate at levels that are high enough to cause hearing damage, and that would be illegal for motor vehicles on roads, or for any other type of equipment. Whereas cars have noise and emission regulations, there are weak or no regulations on the pollution and noise emitted by landscaping equipment. Recently there has also been a troubling trend of people cutting down trees and mulching them on-site. Mulching takes hours and is incredibly loud. I work from home and the noise disrupts my ability to do my work, and is a source of stress and majorly affects my quality of life. The noise ordinance does nothing to stop this noise. If I call the police, they cannot take any action because of the ordinance gives an unconditional exception to landscaping equipment. There is no decibel limit, no duration limit, and landscaping noise is allowed as early as 7AM. I cannot count how many times I've been woken up by landscaping noise. Landscaping equipment even drives on roads e
Please protect our young children
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As a 50 year resident, I too have been concerned about this recent trend in the Oaklands. Hopefully the City will support our concerns.