Northwestern Students Protest Brothel Law
Students at Northwestern University are protesting the institution of a “brothel law” by the city of Evanston, contending that it will leave hundreds, maybe thousands of them without housing next year. The university is located in the suburb about 10 miles north of Chicago.
During a town meeting on campus Tuesday night, more than 1,000 students signed a petition expressing their opposition to the zoning law prohibiting more than three unrelated people living together. The petition seeks to amend the law to prevent evictions. Enforcement begins July 1, 2011, during which landlords of off-campus housing must evict students not in compliance.
Students said the law will damage the university's sense of community. University officials have said they don't plan to ask the city to amend the ordinance and are instead urging students to move further from campus.
The ordinance dealing with housing safety has been on the books for several years but had not been enforced, said Alderwoman Coleen Burrus of the city's Ninth Ward. Although her ward is not close to campus, Burrus said the pending enforcement stems from complaints of noise and overcrowding in neighborhoods bordering the campus.
Such ordinances dealing with property standards, Burrus added, are not uncommon. Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., has a similar ordinance in which the number non-related renters is limited to four. The law dates back to the 1970s.
Posted on Jan 27, 2011 by Lori Rotenberk
