In a recent press release by apartment rental website Zumper, it was discovered that on-campus housing is more affordable than off-campus housing in metropolitan areas.

But is this true for SUNY Buffalo State?

According to the housing office, the housing rates are comparable to other SUNY campuses, not so much the geographic area that surrounds the school.

“There are many factors that drive the budget process,” Housing Office Director Kris Kaufman said in an email. “A significant impact on the housing budget relates to the capital investments conducted within the residence halls. This includes the renovations completed and scheduled as well as enhanced services, such as providing wireless internet services within every residence hall.”

To create rates as low as possible, an annual budget is created for room rates.

As for the overcrowding and other occupancy concerns at the school, a multi-year plan called the Housing Master Plan, will now drive the process by which the room rates are created.

Housing Rates for 2015-2016

Housing rates (per semester) as listed on the Residence Life and Housing Office website:

Standard double room (Towers, North Wing, Cassety, Perry, Porter, Neumann)- $3671

• Medical single room – $4521
• Moore Complex Family College – $5171
• Moore Complex, double room – $4135
• Moore Complex, single room – $4620
• Student Apartment Complex, single room – $5147

Housing rates for nearby apartments listed on zumper.com range from $550-$2,000 per month.

• Elmwood Ave., three bedroom, one bath – $950
• Grant St., three bedroom, one bath – $675
• Bidwell Parkway, one bedroom, one bath, fully furnished – $1,350
• Delaware Ave. and West Ferry St., two bedroom, two bath – $1,465
• Ketchum Place, two bedroom, one bath, $700
• Lafayette Ave. (Elmwood Village), two bedroom, one bath – $1,450

When split between roommates, it is overall cheaper paying rent for the three months that students are in school than for the one semester students pay for on-campus housing.

People find this out after freshman year and they move into their own apartments.

“Every person I met that dorms is a freshman,” urban planning major Samantha Gardner said.

However, it all depends on personal preference. There are many upperclassmen that choose to live on-campus.

On-Campus Living

For journalism major Hy-Deia Walker, she lives on-campus and finds it easier than dealing with landlords and heating bills. She said she finds living on campus is more worth it when all of those things are taken into account.

Chemistry major Ethan Milton-Pope moved off campus after an unfortunate event in which he no longer felt safe on campus, but agrees that on-campus housing may be better for some.

“You’re paying for security and heat,” he said.

For criminal justice major Malissa Roedel, the cost of living on-campus is not even an option.

“It’s so expensive, it’s not worth it,” she said.

Off-Campus Living

Many students that go to the school say that they live off campus because it is more affordable.

For students Jackie Jean, Danni Cibrano, and Sara Schaad, that was the case. They live only a couple blocks from the school.

“We all walk to campus,” they said.

Business administration major Thomas Jones lives off campus and pays $200 per month in rent.  He also feels safer because his apartment is further from the school.

“I lived on campus freshman year,” senior political science major Angela Roan said.

Roan now lives off-campus.

“It’s $7,000 cheaper per year,” she said.

The cost of living in Buffalo is cheaper in most cases than living on Buffalo State’s campus.  For many students, these two options have different pros and cons.

Safety for one student is not the same for another.  Being on-campus may be more convenient for certain people, while living off-campus may be more convenient for others.

While Buffalo State does not offer affordable housing within the context of its unique geographical market, it does offer affordable housing when compared to other schools.

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