No Need to Fear, Student Housing Resources are Here

As the population of Bozeman continues to surge and more students are drawn in from across the country to attend MSU, housing is becoming scarce and expensive. Many students plan to move off campus as they progress in their college careers and are finding it difficult to find affordable housing.

Several reasons can be attributed to the difficulty of finding housing in Bozeman. According to the World Population Review, which analyzes U.S. Census data, the population of Bozeman has increased by 41.1% since 2010, from 37,280 to 52,615. This large increase in population has caused Bozeman to rapidly transition from its status as a micropolitan city into a metropolitan city under designation provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. While a great deal of development was intended to keep up with the growth in population, including large-scale rental options such as Stadium View and The Arrow, it has fallen short in providing adequate and affordable options for renters. These changes in population, along with the rising popularity of MSU, motivated the university to organize an online housing resource to help students find housing and roommates in Bozeman. MSU also offers several other services to assist students as they branch out into the community.

An interview with Dean of Students Matthew Caires, Ed.D, and Student Body President Norris Blossom clarified the new resources that are offered by MSU to foster a relationship between the school and the community while helping students find off-campus housing. Students interested in moving off campus can find some resources on the off-campus living section of the MSU website https://www.montana.edu/offcampusliving/. This resource was inspired by the Off-Campus Living Office at Colorado State University. MSU implemented this program in 2018 following the formation of the Good Neighbor Committee with the City of Bozeman, which aimed to create a stronger connection between MSU and the rest of the community. This task force traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado to witness that university’s program and discuss implementing something similar at MSU. In 2019, the Fort Collins team helped MSU create a website to make these services more accessible for students and connect them to emergency resources. Caires stressed that the goal of this webpage is to provide students centralized and accessible services to help them every step of the way as they transition off-campus. Beyond rental listings, this website also supplies students with guides to finding roommates, navigating rental agreements and finding public transportation to campus.

Here’s a guide to what you can find on the website to make off-campus living a reality.

Rental and Roommate Listings

From the main dashboard, students can browse listings of apartments and houses in the community. Students can contact landlords, find answers to frequently asked questions and filter properties to help narrow the search. Landlords can also use this site to post their properties and fill vacancies, allowing them to more easily reach a large community of prospective renters. The site helps students find roommates with similar habits and priorities so they can have the best experience possible living on their own. The website highlights the fact that students with similar lifestyles are more successful living together. The ability to browse profiles allows a student to find a better fit for their unique situation than just living with their friends. This service also supports transfer students and those who started remotely to find roommates without having to physically be in Bozeman during their search. These services will make it easier for students to find housing remotely during the pandemic.

Legal Services and Help

If students find themselves having legal difficulties with landlords or property management companies, the website also offers a link to student legal services where they can either browse frequently asked questions or schedule an appointment to speak with a lawyer. In extreme cases, these services will provide assistance to students if the situation requires them to go to trial. By connecting this resource, the new website provides a support system for students when they leave campus. Students can also submit information regarding any landlord issues they are having so MSU is aware of and can help find a way to handle the situation.

Checklists

Figuring out the first step toward moving off campus is often one of the most challenging parts of the renting process. Students can find a number of checklists and price estimates as a guide to understand their budgets as well as what to look for in a home. This allows students to plan ahead and overall makes the moving process easier. The off-campus housing resources stress the importance of having a plan. Additionally, this section of the website provides a list of essentials for living off campus.

The resources that MSU has provided allow students to better navigate the move from being a part of the MSU community to also being part of the greater community. With the housing crisis in Bozeman, moving off campus can be intimidating, but MSU provides many resources to make the leap as easy as possible.