One of the biggest issues in the College Area and surrounding neighborhoods is the proliferation of mini-dorms. They've been been around for years, but tensions surrounding the rental homes have grown increasingly heated over the past 18 months, leading to protests and reforms. The following is a brief guide on what mini-dorms are and what has been done to limit them.
QUESTION: What are mini-dorms?
ANSWER: They are rental homes, often with conversions and added bedrooms, that accommodate numerous college students in single-family neighborhoods.
Who opposes them and why?
Homeowners in the College Area and other neighborhoods where they are prevalent, such as Pacific Beach. Residents say they bring excessive traffic, noise, parties and trash to their single-family neighborhoods.
What has been done by the city of San Diego to limit them?
In July, the City Council approved a revamped code designed to limit the number of additional bedrooms and add stiffer parking requirements on the homes.
On April 30, the city, in partnership with the Police Department, began issuing $1,000 noise-disturbance fines to landlords and tenants in Mid-City neighborhoods, which include the College Area. Program coordinators have begun expanding the program citywide, starting with the neighborhoods of Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, University City, Clairemont and Bay Park. Training is in progress in the Police Department's Western Division, which includes Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Hillcrest, North Park and Linda Vista.
Most recently, the City Council approved an ordinance that requires owners of homes with six or more adults in single-family neighborhoods citywide to apply for $1,000 annual permits. Parking spaces will be required for all except one adult.
What has been done by San Diego State University?
In March, SDSU decided to supply the city with a part-time code enforcement representative to tackle problem mini-dorms. The university more than doubled the planned campus student housing to 3,000 beds. SDSU also increased the number of student beds last summer.
What's next?
A rooming-house ordinance will go before the City Council in February. It is expected to ban homes with five or more bedrooms from having five or more leases. It has been revised and will be available by the end of this month for public review
What are some lingering concerns?
Residents are apprehensive about the upcoming revisions to the rooming-house ordinance, and whether the proposed tool will receive support from the City Council.
There are also concerns that SDSU hasn't provided enough student housing and that its planned expansion project will generate more mini-dorms. The university is planning for an enrollment increase of nearly 10,000 students by 2025.
