Chapter 12
Stick it to the Man!

With a long list including contemptible and dubious cleaning charges, unavailable management, failure to provide adequate lighting and repair services and impersonal personnel in the main office, Rexburg Housing has added yet another complaint of dissatisfaction for residents. This one deals with the article in the April 4-10, 2006 Scroll, written about Arbor Cove’s change from women’s to men’s housing. I find it outrageous that Rexburg Housing will not release its 35 displaced residents from their contracts. These girls choose Arbor Cove as their summer residence, were allowed to sign contracts (some this semester) ensuring that they had a place to live and then were not told until March 8th that Arbor Cove would no longer be an option for them (unless they opted for surgery). They were not told that this change would occur next fall but in two months time! To add to this, Rexburg Housing is not releasing these girls from their contracts as they should do. They are giving them the option of living in one of the four other women’s housing complexes that Rexburg Housing owns. This may seem like a nice gesture on the part of Rexburg Housing and its director of operations, Jessica Pace, but both the article and Pace failed to mention the cost difference and the layout difference of these complexes compared to Arbor Cove. The cheapest option for these residents would be Birch Plaza, but the layout is much different and many residents choose Arbor Cove for its unique layout. The next is Birchwood which is equal to the lowest floor plan at Arbor Cove, and the other two options, Autumn Winds and Brookside are over $60 more than the most expensive floor plan at Arbor Cove!
These 35 residents should be allowed to continue their search for housing that meets their price range as well as being a place that they want to live. Their options should not be limited simply because Rexburg Housing cannot hold to their end of a contract. Students do not sign a contract for one complex and find within the fine print that said complex may switch genders after you sign. Jessica Pace says that “if students have valid reasons, we’ll let them out of their contracts.” It may just be me but I believe that by changing the housing to men’s Rexburg Housing has terminated the contract and that is a valid reason for these girls to be released.
Rexburg Housing has quite a hold on the housing market in this community and with such a stronghold I feel they are exploiting their residents time and time again. As they said, “they are a market driven company.” A “company”, not a housing complex worthy of being tolerated within this community. To them is seems more important to mistreat, cheat, and deceive their residents all in the name of profit than to keep their 1,648 student residents happy and satisfied, which would seem the more profitable marketing strategy, since one of the strongest forms of advertisement is word of mouth. Rexburg Housing has a few more than just 35 mouths advising people to not choose Rexburg Housing as their future residence.
It is not only about the change of the complex but rather the continuation of their treatment towards their residents, no amount of Rexburg Housing “perks” and bonfires could change the way that residents are perceiving how lowly Rexburg Housing views them. These 35 girls should be released from a contract that in all reality no longer exists between them and Rexburg Housing.