by Rivkela Brodsky
Daily Lobo
Student Family Housing rent is going up 4 percent starting July 1.
But some residents say if rent is going up, they want repairs and renovations made to the building.
"I don't mind them raising rent," resident Henry Jauregui said. "They just need to fix things."
He said he's lived in Student Family Housing for three years.
He lifted up a rug in his living room in the E Building and revealed cracked linoleum flooring patched with paste. In his kitchen, he showed a gray circle where water once leaked.
"I make a big stink about things," Jauregui said, which is why repairs have been made in his apartment.
He said for most residents, repairs take a long time.
Monica Valdez, coordinator of Student Family Housing, said there are always repairs that need to be made, and she has not received any complaints.
"It seems like every time rent goes up, they run to the Daily Lobo," she said.
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Melanie Sparks, director of Campus Housing, said rent is being raised to pay for the 4 percent compensation package approved by the regents.
She has been the director since July 2004.
Residents said they received a flier telling them rent was going up and that they had a new director, but she hadn't been down to the site.
Sparks said when she first became director, she went to the complex to talk to residents.
She said UNM replaced a security gate when she began her job because it kept breaking. It cost more than $20,000, she said.
"We've made a considerable effort to put money back into Student Family Housing," she said.
She said they do the best they can to keep up with maintenance.
Resident Andrew Ascherl said raising the rent to almost $700 for a three-bedroom apartment was pushing it.
"It's getting close to not being worth it," he said.
He said since his family has lived there, there have been things left undone that should have been taken care of.
Ascherl said one of the biggest problems is lack of security.
"They're supposed to have security guards," he said. "It seems like they're not much value."
He said his car had been broken into at Student Family Housing.
"I can't say I felt satisfied with the answer," Ascherl said. "The official answer was 'sorry.'"
Sparks said they are working with the UNM Police Department to increase security.
"We hire students," she said. "There's a high turnover rate. We try to keep people on."
Mila Chimoni, a resident, said it is a good thing her family is moving out before rent goes up.
She said the communication between UNM and residents was bad.
"There was a meeting last year, but there hasn't been a meeting at all this year," she said.
Sparks said there are housing meetings every other Thursday.
Residents said they were not informed of the meetings.
Sparks said there will be a town hall meeting Tuesday to tell residents about the rent increase.
