By JONATHAN BAGLEY
Provo Mayor George Stewart wants to balance the ratio of rental housing to occupant-owned housing in Provo, but the move may force future BYU students to find housing in Springville and Orem.
'The thing I have a problem with is only 40 percent of the community is owner occupied,' Stewart said. 'Countywide, without Provo, 70 percent of people live in residences they own. We'd like to bring that back into some balance.'
Stewart said Provo should not bear the burden of being Utah County's apartment community.
Stewart has appointed a committee of citizens, called the 2000 Task Force, to develop Provo's General Plan. Among other things, Provo's General Plan will state where rental housing and owned housing will remain.
City Councilman Dennis Poulsen said the idea is to preserve the integrity of Provo neighborhoods. He said renters -- not meaning BYU students -- do not respect their homes. This has caused the downtown part of Provo to degenerate. Poulsen said city leaders fear the quality of life will decrease, people will not invest in the area, and the area will become a slum.
To protect Provo neighborhoods, the 2000 Task Force will restrict the construction of rental housing in several areas south of campus.
'Whenever you artificially restrict the supply of something the price goes up. It's not necessarily a bad idea,' said assistant professor Norman Thurston of the Economics Department.
He said students have to live somewhere and when the rents of apartments close to campus rise, students who do not want to pay the higher prices will be forced to live in the surrounding cities.
'Money is just an allocation problem,' he said.
Stewart said the areas around campus that have been developed or are being developed will satisfy the needs of BYU's future.
Thurston said if the mayor's prediction is accurate, concern for the price of housing should be ignored.
Some BYU students disagree with the mayor and say they believe rent is unsatisfactory. Next fall some BYU students will pay $300 for a single room.
Jared Christensen, a junior majoring in philosophy, said he would pay $300 if it was the only way to have a private bedroom. Christensen's current rent is $250.
Christensen's landlord, Mark Jolley, a senior majoring in business management, said he watches the other condominiums to determine his rental rates. If their prices rise his will too, and he said he has never had a problem selling contracts.
Carri Jenkins, assistant director of BYU public communications, said the BYU administration is reviewing the situation to ensure housing will be available for students. She said BYU enjoys its relationship with Provo City, and they are confident student needs will be met.
John Pace of the off-campus housing office said they will observe how the situation develops because they are convinced the General Plan could affect students' rental rates. He said off-campus housing has not studied the issue enough to plot a course of action.
Stewart said he realizes BYU is responsible for making Provo what it is.
The General Plan must endure public hearings and receive approval of the Planning Commission and the City Council before its anticipated implementation in May or June.