University of Virginia Library

Open Housing?

We were very pleased to receive Mr. Titus'
announcement of the decision that students
eligible to live off-Grounds are no longer
required to live in University-approved
housing. We were similarly pleased to note
that the Housing Office will continue to
compile a list of accommodations which meet
its standards for those who wish to consult it.

Conspicuously absent from the list of
those standards in Mr. Titus' letter, however,
is one of non-discrimination. Surely the University
does not intend to publish a list of
housing offered its students if that list includes
some facilities not available to all
students. We hope the omission is a mere
oversight, or that such considerations are
included in "other specified requirements." In
either case we urge Mr. Titus to state beyond
any doubt that his office will not list discriminatory
facilities, and to act accordingly.

Assuming that he will, the burden is now
placed on students to encourage non-discrimination
among Charlottesville's landlords.
The Housing Office can no longer do so by
refusing to allow students to occupy a given
landlord's apartment, so the students themselves
must refuse to occupy it if they cannot
persuade the landlord to change his policy. At
the same time, we hope the University will
never hesitate to use its influence with discriminatory
landlords, if only in order to
guarantee that all its students have equal
access to housing of their choice.

Perhaps the Housing Office could handle
students' requests for pressure on landlords,
or perhaps a student-faculty committee could
be appointed for that purpose. Whatever the
case, the University must not turn its head to
the problem of discrimination in Charlottesville
housing only because it no longer
has a direct lever to work with.

We were somewhat surprised by Mr. Titus'
final statement that the University will use its
"good offices" to protect the interests of all
regarding approved housing, but that "such
service cannot be given regarding unapproved
housing." Does the University intend to
abandon those who choose not to live in
housing on its list? Will it refuse requests for
help from such students if they make
them? We cannot imagine that it will ignore
requests or reports from those students' landlords,
should they be made, and so we feel it
cannot ignore requests or reports from the
students. Thus we urge the University, indeed,
to make the resources of its good offices
available to all students who request them in
such matters.