A town hall meeting discussing off-campus housing issues took an impassioned turn as about 500 students crowded into McCormick Auditorium in protest of Evanston’s so-called “brothel” ordinance Tuesday night.
The “three unrelated” or “brothel” ordinance prohibits more than three unrelated residents from living in a single dwelling. A moratorium on the enforcement of this law is in effect until July 1. Once enforced, the law could force hundreds of students to locate further from campus.
Dean of Students Burgwell Howard facilitated the meeting, along with Assistant Dean of Students Betsi Burns and Evanston Assistant Director of Property Standards Jeff Murphy.
Howard began the meeting by briefly discussing possible changes to stops on the Purple Line and winter parking violations, but the focus was quickly turned to the controversial ordinance after student interruptions. Students’ main concerns included declines in affordability, decreased safety and loss of a sense of community.
Both Howard and Burns said that the Office of Student Affairs is prepared to accommodate any problems that may arise from the ordinance. Among the options that may be discussed are modified shuttle routes, expanded Saferide coverage and a wet campus policy.
Regardless, students said they felt the administration was not taking an active role in lobbying for their interests.
“My title is not the Dean of Neighbors. It’s not the Dean of Evanston. Clearly, the group I advocate for is students,” Howard said.
Howard emphasized the extensive dialogue between the university and the city concerning the policy, and said they are focusing on preserving the quality of the student experience at Northwestern.
“Am I going to, in a public forum, put the mayor of Evanston under a bus? No. This is a relationship,” he said. “There’s a give and take and this is a long haul in terms of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Students were also frustrated about the purpose of the ordinance, saying that the strict enforcement of the law is in reaction to complaints of partying and public disturbance from the fall.
“We’re saying that this housing policy does not correlate with these incidents at all. You’re not going to stop students from walking in groups on the street or being rowdy,” Medill junior Amy Cross said.
While Murphy cited complaints from Evanston residents as well as “confrontations, the smell of urine that permeates the neighborhood, and people having sex on the parkway” during the meeting, he later said that the ordinance applies to everyone within the city. “It’s not that we’re targeting anyone,” he said.
As tempers flared throughout the meeting, some students were alarmed by the lack of decorum by their peers.
“I think tonight was an embarrassment to Northwestern students that just showed how whiney and demanding we are,” McCormick junior Kyle Richardson said. “I’m honestly ashamed to be a part of this group right now.”
However, Murphy said he understood the students’ anger.
“Everybody’s sympathetic to it, but at the same time there’s an ordinance that has to be enforced,” Murphy said. “But if you want to see a change in these ordinances, this is how you do it. It starts with public comment.”
Associated Student Government has issued a petition regarding the ordinance that will be presented to the Evanston City Council. Students were also encouraged to attend the city council meeting on Jan. 31 to bring their concerns directly to city officials.
A meeting today between the Northwestern administration and Evanston officials will further address the issues discussed during the town hall meeting. Burns hopes to bring a student representative from the off-campus advisory board to attend the meeting.
“I am so happy the students came out, stated their opinions and let us know what they want so we can better articulate what our students have to say about this issue,” Burns said. “You brought things to the table, now we need to continue the dialogue to figure what action items we need to take forward to make sure our students have safe, affordable, healthy housing.”