City Council,
As representatives of the Texas Aggie Classes of 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027, we write to you today to urge a reconsideration of the No-More-Than-Four policy.
Students are having an increasingly difficult time finding adequate housing in College Station. High rent, low student income and shortages in housing availability has led many students to split rent and live with more than four fellow Aggies.
At the same time, many longtime residents have voiced concerns about parking, trash, noise and other public nuisances. With a current enrollment of 77,000 students, more students are living in areas once dominated by families and longtime local residents. But the solution should not be to penalize the students for splitting rent.
Instead, we support the city’s continued efforts to regulate these using public nuisance laws that a growing population is bound to cause. Additionally, we encourage the City Council to reform their occupancy standards to reflect best practices and regulate occupancy through health and safety — not familial status like several Texas cities have already done or actively pursuing, such as Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston
This policy would take into account the unique character of each home instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, that treats a 2-bedroom and a 5-bedroom house the same. Furthermore, it would limit the criminalization of Aggies, who for financial reasons, must live with a greater number of roommates, while at the same time addressing public safety concerns.
In these difficult economic times, we thank the City Council and University for their continued dialogue and assistance in creating a housing market that works for everyone. We also support the Student Senate Resolution 76-12, and Student Government Association’s statement on municipal priorities. We believe the reconsideration of No-More-Than-Four will lead to better outcomes for students, residents and the entire community.
United Together, the Fightin Texas Aggie Class of 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027:
Ben Crockett, Vice President of Municipal Affairs,
Andrew Applewhite, Student Body President,
Caitlynn Walsh, Corps Commander
Tara Driskill, Big Event Director
Monse Westrup, MSC President,
Troy Cavazos, IFC President,
Cade Coppinger, Student Body President Elect,
Riley Pritzlaff, RHA President,
Marcus Glass, Speaker of the 76th Senate,
Ava Blackburn, Speaker of the 77th Senate,
Klayton House, Deputy Corps Commander
Ben Fisher, Class of 24’ President,
Will Rodriguez, Class of 25’ President,
Colton Whisenant, Class of 26’ President,
Duncan Polling, Class of 27’ President,
Cole Sloan, Class of 27’ President elect,
Corbitt Armstrong, Legislative Relations Chair,
Cooper Brown, BCA President
