Disparities in university-provided sophomore housing

Documenting the return for students who came back to San Diego

Tyler Pugmire / News Editor

Some USD students have already returned to San Diego, regardless of whether classes are in person. The sophomores that were granted housing have been living in the Pacific Ridge and Loma Palisades apartments as an alternative to on-campus housing. 

As the Pacific Ridge students moved in, some have been criticizing the school for not adequately furnishing the apartments, and most students have not received anything more than a bed, a dresser, and a desk, leaving the living rooms mostly empty.

For others at Loma Palisades, there have been cases of people declining their housing agreement after moving in. 

“It just doesn’t make sense for me,” sophomore Patrick Larson said. “For someone who does not always have access to a car, I was not readily prepared to live that far away.”

Something worth noting is that the average two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments at Pacific Ridge are currently priced from $3,351 to $3,625, with an additional $800 deposit. Meanwhile at Loma Palisades, there are currently many two-bedroom, one and a half bathroom apartments that range from $2,072 to $2,390 with an additional $600 deposit. All students in these complexes are paying the same rate that they would for housing on campus.

Pacific Ridge is located across the street from campus, while Loma Palisades is estimated as a twelve-minute drive from campus, with USD working to provide a tram service to and from the apartments to campus. 

“You can’t always trust the tram service,” Larson said. “Anyone who has had a class on west campus knows that there is nothing worse than having to wait for a tram, let alone a tram that is still fifteen minutes from campus.”

The price of housing is not different for students who are placed in Loma Palisades, Pacific Ridge, or those who were placed in a lottery to live on campus once current regulations permit on-campus housing.

Another concern is how liability will play into moving students to San Diego. Without being able to lock down and require social distancing to be enforced at all times for students, questions arise about how USD could control an outbreak. On campus in the Alcalá Vistas, where some Resident Assistants are living now, there are no guests allowed in each other’s rooms once students move in, as enforced by staff and Resident Assistants.

In Pacific Ridge and Loma Palisades, there are no Resident Assistants that have this ability, and as students are spread around each respective complex, it is difficult to hold students in these places to the same standard. 

Many organization leaders, such as DJ Mahoney, associate director for Fraternity and Sorority Life, sent out an email to students, urging them to respect social distancing guidelines and refrain from in-person gatherings in order to keep everyone safe.

The USD Vista contacted Luke Lacroix, Assistant Dean of Students but did not respond when asked about how Residential Life is enforcing social distancing in these complexes at the time of publication.

Assuming cases continue to fall in San Diego, and the county stays off of the watchlist, more businesses and activities will be available for Toreros to explore. As students return, it is imperative for them to make sure to follow state and county guidelines in order to make a safe return to campus as soon as possible.