Washington State University - Chinook Yearbook (Pullman, WA)

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C ombing the 15.5 percent decrease in enrollment from the full capacity level of 1980 and the 4 per¬ cent increase in available housing since then, Finch anticipated a 19.5 percent net drop in demand in 1994. As anyone who ' s ever had Econ 102 could tell you, when demand drops, so do prices. Enrollment was expected to go up again after 1994. William Bierbaum, director of housing and food at WSU, said enrollment would prob¬ ably reach full-capacity levels similar to 1980 around the year 2010, as the children of the Baby-boomers (the echo ) grow to college age. Students choosing to live off-campus were expected to benefit from the surplus. I think the student body is going to benefit as prices stabilize, Finch said, pre¬ dicting rent prices would come down. I think some people are getti ng away with more than they would in another market. However, the prices could not drop too much, he said, because landlords still had fixed costs, such as mort¬ gages and taxes, to recover. Petry, in his memo, said there is likely to be a depressed period during the 1990s, that may cause bankruptcies and or foreclo¬ sures of some of the rental properties. As the competition increased, newer and better- maintained untis were going to retain tenants, at the expense of run-down units and locations farther from campus. Finch said. We (landlords) are going to have to work harder, he said. The success of the Campus Commons North apartments was due to marketing, he said. The apartments were new (built during the sum¬ mer of 1985) and came with a variety of extras. But Campus Commons North was also an example of the increased competition for tenants, he said. Look at all the things they were giv¬ ing away. I think they had to work a little harder than they thought they would have to. At one point, the complex was offering different combi¬ nations of free use of a televi¬ sion and video cassette recorder and free use of the complex ' s tanning booth to lure people into signing leases for the spring semes¬ ter. The university ' s residence halls were unable to com¬ pete, and occupancy sank to a record-low 69.8 percent in the spring of 1986. To trim costs, the university moved to trim 1,000 beds from the system, which was accom¬ plished by closing Kruegel and McAllister halls, and designating Goldsworthy and Perham as temporary housing that would remain open as long as there was demand for space. □ Bryan Corliss Contributing Writer There is likely to be a depressed period during the 1990s, that may cause bankruptcies and or foreclosures of some of the rental properties. ' - Glenn Petry University operated apartments provide yet another option for stu¬ dents who want more independence. Mike Anderson photo 22 Housing

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Lured by the attractive bonuses of apartment living, Deven Buddrius is one of many students are enjoying the use of tan¬ ning beds, color televi¬ sion, video recorders, microwave cooking... Gary Foster photo as JB ‘It would be reasonable to say there was a housing surplus in Pullman in 1986. There were some vacancies last year, then we had the decreased enrollment and all those new units.’ - Richard Finch Rain, snow, sleet or hail will never keep stu¬ dents from their precious mail. Gary Foster photo Pullfnan’s NE comer has quickly transformed from rolling hills into a residential metropolis. Gary Foster photo Housing 21 Onttai Prawt

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Lucky to have enough dimes, Tanya Blouhm finishes her last load of laundiy just in time to find change for the dry¬ ers. Gary Foster photo Sprouting from the hills of Terre View Drive, The Meadows Apartments prepare to compete in the ever¬ growing renter’s market. Mike Anderson photo Housing 23 On vh