Student housing union advocates for renters ahead of city’s UNO update

The University Tenants Union student group at the University of Texas has launched a new housing toolkit aimed at helping student renters better navigate the housing market in West Campus and surrounding areas. The organization, which advocates for tenant rights and policy reforms affecting student housing, developed the resource to centralize legal and practical guidance for students, many of whom are first-time renters.

The toolkit compiles information from organizations such as Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and includes templates for communicating with landlords, advice on handling disputes and guidance on escalating issues when necessary. UTU representatives say the initiative is meant to equip students with the knowledge needed to protect themselves in an often complex and competitive rental market.

“What we are trying to do is centralize a lot of these resources that are available on a lot of housing advocacy, housing support websites. A lot of these things are out there, but we’re centralizing them, focusing on making sure they’re really intuitive and especially just thinking about our audience, which is students, many of which are first-time renters,” said Justin Lanier, UTU’s policy director, adding that student renters can often feel intimidated by the large number of homes and apartments owned by private equity firms and investment groups. “​​West Campus, I would say (is) very consolidated. There are definitely a handful of property owners and some of them are developers that own a ton of those beds in those units.”

In addition to launching the toolkit, the organization has been working to influence city policy through ongoing advocacy efforts, particularly in relation to the University Neighborhood Overlay. The UNO, a zoning change designed to encourage high-density student housing and improve living conditions in West Campus, is undergoing its first major update in two decades.

UTU has forwarded a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening tenant protections to city planning staff, asking for considerations such as limiting the practice of early leasing, enforcing penalties for delayed move-ins and increasing landlord accountability. UTU members argue that these measures would help address longstanding concerns about students being pressured to sign leases up to a year in advance, and would create clearer guidelines for ensuring housing is ready for occupancy at the start of a lease term.

City officials, including Council Member Zo Qadri, whose district includes West Campus, have engaged with UTU on these proposals. Representatives from the Planning Department attended a town hall event hosted by UTU and have indicated that some of the union’s recommendations are reflected in the current draft of the UNO update, which is ongoing and expected to see a final vote by City Council on May 8.

If passed, the changes would apply to new developments rather than existing properties, which UTU members acknowledge may limit the immediate impact of certain policies.

Beyond city-level policy, UTU is also working to push for greater involvement from the University of Texas in addressing student housing concerns. The organization is advocating for more university-supported legal aid for students facing landlord disputes, improved accessibility throughout the housing ecosystem, as well as a preferred landlord list that would set baseline standards for student housing conditions.

With the university needing to select a new permanent president in the near future, UTU is pushing school administrators to become better advocates for student housing. With a variety of meetings and town halls underway, Kayla Quilantang, UTU’s chair and membership director, said the group is hopeful new leadership will address the need for stepping into the student housing market and increasing its interactions with the city.

“Our main goal is to start this big university-focused campaign, so we’re trying to make sure that students have a seat at the table and actually start this larger petition for what the students demands are, for the university to make a commitment to protect their students’ housing needs and health and safety needs, especially at the turn of electing a new president and also for including in their larger strategic plan,” she said.

Lanier and Quilantang said their group has been encouraged by the support from city staff as well as Qadri, who in an email praised UTU’s involvement in the UNO process.

“Through my time in office, I have always worked to make sure that students have a voice at the table in all of the decisions that affect them. The University Tenants Union have been fantastic advocates for improved housing and conditions on the UT area, and I look forward to championing their recommendations throughout the upcoming UNO update.”

Photo by Vuemobi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link.

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Posted In: Planning, District 9