As we entered 2023, student enrollment for Texas A&M, College Station, resulted in a whooping preliminary total of 77,491 enrolled students. This includes College Station, Galveston, Qatar campuses, and the health science center. These numbers come from the preliminary enrollment numbers from A&M’s Data and Research Services, which can be directly compared on their website. But make no mistake, our main campus enrolled 71,127, 91.8% of that count. 

With the growing number of Texas A&M students each year, there is a need for more places for students to rest their heads after a long day in the classroom.  However, students looking for off-campus accommodation may find their quest for convenient, affordable, and safe lodging to be unproductive. There is a dearth of desirable options in the Bryan-College Station area, ranging from inflated pricing to dubious living situations. A&M’s on-campus housing accommodates 11,000 Aggies, including the Corps of Cadets, so many Aggies are forced to rely on off-campus housing in the Brazos Valley. To keep up with the number of Aggies, multiple new properties have been and continue to be built. However, the rapid increase of students has changed the housing market in the Bryan-College Station area, causing Aggies to worry about their financial and housing stability. The issue has gotten worse as a result of the stricter implementation of legislation like the "No More than Four" housing law.

College Station has a city ordinance called a "No More than Four" ordinance, which prohibits more than four unrelated individuals from living in a single-family household. While the law has been enacted since 1940, the recent boom in student enrollment in recent years has seen an increase in enforcement of the law. So much so that Texas A&M prominently displays the slogan “Remember Me + 3” signs all over campus, and it is front center on the off-campus housing website on the student life page of the student affairs department website. 

Since 2008, Aggies have been writing articles on BTHO of the city housing ordinance. Some undergraduate students have voiced their belief that it is immoral for the government to regulate who can and cannot live together, calling it an invasion of privacy. Some people say it's embarrassing to ask for aid when housing instability causes homelessness and couch surfing. However, housing instability is not just an issue for undergraduate students. This issue is further intensified for specific student populations such as low-income, first-generation, and graduate-level college students. 

First-generation and low-income student populations may not have the same financial support systems as students from families with a history of higher education. Limited financial resources can force graduate or undergraduate students to prioritize basic needs over other expenses like textbooks, food, and transportation. Many college students, especially first-generation and low-income students, balance their studies with part-time jobs and other obligations that support them financially. Thus, they rely on shared housing, which fosters a sense of community and belonging, particularly if they share comparable experiences and challenges, to divide rent and utility costs, reducing their living expenses.

While the prevailing narrative often concerns undergraduate housing challenges, graduate students face unique and escalating difficulties with housing instability. The demanding nature of graduate programs, especially ours at A&M, often requires our long-term commitment to education, during which stable housing is essential for sustained focus, productivity, and well-being. Rising rents and a lack of affordable housing alternatives put a financial strain on us as graduate students, and that can compromise our ability to dedicate ourselves fully to our research. As graduate students, we are not strangers to loans, but housing instability increases lifelong debt as students resort to loans or credit cards to cover housing costs. The stress and uncertainty associated with housing instability can be a significant distraction, affecting academic performance and mental health. Housing issues can also hinder the development of a sense of community and belonging as an Aggie. 

Adequate housing and a stable living environment are essential for academic achievement for any student. If the city ordinance makes it more difficult for students to find suitable housing, their ability to have collegiate experiences beneficial to their futures will be negatively impacted. For housing laws to take into account the specific demands of Aggies, it is crucial to think about how they could affect both undergraduates and graduate students.

I would like to extend an invitation to you, a respected member of the Fighting 12th Man Aggies, to participate in a poll about this important policy. Finishing the survey should not take more than 10-15 minutes to complete. Your responses will remain completely anonymous. By participating in this survey, you're actively shaping the future of our city. STUDY2024-0060, approved 02/29/2024.