- Who: Previously, I stated that all University of Florida students (and some Santa Fe students) are the ones that have the need for flexible leases. Through my interviews, I found that the exception to this is students who have resigned leases, freshmen who wish to live in dorms and Residential Assistants (RAs). People who resign do so because they do not want to deal with the hassles of moving. They do not have this need because they enjoy their living conditions and when you resign, you will not be kicked out of your apartment and thus can stay or leave as you please. These people, although they must pay for days or months during which the apartment is vacant, believe it is easier than hiring moving services or moving from one unit to another. The other categories are freshmen who plan on living in dorms and RAs because the school works with them on flexible leases for whatever dormitory they are in.
- Additionally, I was able to identify a market I was not previously unaware of. This market is international students. They only attend UF for a semester usually and need a short-term lease for that.
- What: This problem is different from the college housing problem in general. The housing problem in Gainesville is high prices and places near campus sell out quickly. This problem is different from the lack of flexible leases.
- Why: I do not think that the underlying cause is different. The outsiders’ have purely decided to prioritize different aspects which makes this opportunity less relevant. For example, UF students who resign leases compromise; they may not have the ‘homeless’ problem but often pay rent when they can’t find a sublease.
Inside the Boundary
- Who: International students, students who don’t plan on staying in Gainesville the whole year (i.e. those not doing a summer term, December or May graduates), freshmen
- What the need is: flexible leases
- Why the need exists: apartments don’t want to be liable for finding lessees on a semester basis, they need time to turn down the apartment
- Who: People who resigned leases, residential assistants
- What the need is not: finding housing
Iswarya,
ReplyDeleteReally insightful interviews and specifications based on the new information! I agree that the boundaries are quite strong between people needing housing and those who don’t. I also like your inclusion of how international students tie into the issue because they can count as a specific market to target. This is a simple fix to a solution that so many students have dealt with for some time. To have semester-based leases will allow for new student opportunities and alleviate stressful circumstances! Great Work.
Romi
Hi Izzy,
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point that people who resign leases do not have to worry about moving out. These people do not have to deal with finding a place to stay until the end of the semester. International students probably have it the worst because they are here for the shortest amount of time. This means they have to find someone to sublease their apartment for the rest of their lease or be stuck paying for it even though they will no longer be living there.