Why 2 sides in Winona's housing talk are irritated
As the Winona city debate simmers over how to handle student housing -- including Winona State's proposed "theme" housing -- the Winona Post writes about some of the frustration that residents and university officials feel.
From the residents' side:
Natalie Siderius, speaking on behalf of the Neighborhood Association, said the group is frustrated by inaction on the part of landlords and city officials.
City ordinances exist that demand certain property appearance guidelines be met, Siderius said, but those ordinances are not being enforced uniformly against properties that violate them.
Garbage containers or the lack thereof, cars parked on yards, crumbling exteriors and more are troublesome to Siderius and other homeowners who gathered to say such properties are destroying the value and harmony of neighborhoods.
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From the university's side:
Kurt Lohide, WSU vice president of finance and administrative services, said the university finds itself caught in the middle, with neighborhood residents asking that more students be housed on campus, and Housing Association members saying it is unfair for the university to compete with them for students.