Vandal Village is the newest addition to the housing options available on University of Idaho’s campus. The new build has been largely advertised by the university as one that expands the availability of on-campus living.
When compared to the other university housing it is not as accessible as it is made out to be. Vandal Village has rates starting at $1,339 per month for a single studio apartment and go up to $2,920 per month for a four-bedroom town house unit. Compared to other on-campus housing options, Vandal Village does fall at a higher price range.
Residents in the Wallace Residence Center and Theophilus Tower are charged on average $2,965 per semester (~$990 per month), residents in McConnel Hall are charged $3,915 per semester (~$1,305 per month), and residents in the Learning Living Communities are charged on average $3,910 per semester (~$1,303 per month).
There is also the option of living in a Greek chapter on campus which is stated on UI’s website to cost on average $4,050 per semester. Besides the financial differences between the options listed above and Vandal Village, it is only available to sophomores and older student, disallowing freshman from living in the housing complex despite it being located on campus.
Vandal Village resident Rachel Nahmias sees this as a positive as “it’s notably not available to freshman, which is good because the main on campus housing options prioritize freshman.” The prioritization of freshman housing on campus could be due to the requirement of all full-time first year students under 21 to live on campus per UI’s policy.
Nahmias also states, “the location is on the edge of campus so it’s a bit far from some classes.” “It is pretty far from the Tower, Wallace and the LLCs as well as the Eatery.” On top of the higher prices, Vandal Village is located further from the main core of campus, which can be a major downside for student residents.
Considering the generally observed student consensus of UI having a shortage of convenient and affordable housing options, “previously the on-campus housing options for these people were very limited, so this expansion feels very needed” said Nahmias.
While it makes sense that UI would prioritize the construction of freshman and new student housing due to University policy, the addition of sophomore and upper-classmen housing is generally well received as more options available to students can allow for more accessibility to housing provided by the university.
Across the four different resident halls the university has, the resident halls on campus have a capacity of 1,800 students. Vandal Village adds another 450 residents to the on-campus living capacity, making the addition a significant housing option for those struggling to find availability.
However, because of the higher cost, the addition becomes unattainable to students. Causing negative feelings towards the housing options on campus to remain. Vandal Village adds a significant amount of upper-classman housing but due to the price discrepancy between it and other available housing, the addition still causes on-campus living to remain inaccessible for many.
Amelie Dobler can be reached at [email protected]