NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The City of New Rochelle recently passed this new city code to better keep track of student housing in New Rochelle. Now all property owners housing three (3) or more students within New Rochelle will have to register their property on the City’s newly-created Student Housing Business Registration web site.
The City says the information collected will help the City:
- Create a comprehensive student housing directory
- Protect the safety of students from overcrowding situations
- Mitigate any negative impact of student housing on surrounding neighborhoods
- Provide important contact information in the event of an emergency.
From The City of New Rochelle Site:
The purpose of the program is to create a directory of structures housing three (3) or more students in an effort to protect the safety of students from overcrowding situations and to mitigate any negative impacts such uses may have on the surrounding neighborhoods.
http://www.newrochelleny.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1043
An Overview: http://www.newrochelleny.com/studenthousing
Please read the attachment as it could answer some of your questions. This is a code that puts the reporting responsibility on the home or building owners. It is not reliant on Iona College for any information.
Q&A Often asked questions: http://www.newrochelleny.com/DocumentCenter/View/6434
I had met City of New Rochelle’s Legal Counsel Kathleen Gill recently to discuss the new code and to ask for help with several locations that were chronic offenders such as 30 Eastchester Road apartments where the building is privately owned and is rented now primarily by Iona College Students. The residents of the building at 30 Eastchester Road and some of the other off-campus student rented housing which I repeat again is privately owned have tried for years to deal with the disruptive and unruly behavior of the Iona College Students that rent apartments there. We/they were no longer receiving much support from Iona College in dealing with the off campus students. Just statistics of the activities compared to prior years data and long discussions about the troubles they face. The New Rochelle Police PACT Officer was doing what he could but that was not enough. He even made a point of doing walk through with some of the tenants at the end of his shift. Even the suggestion of having Iona College Staff do a couple of night time visits was deemed impossible to the college. It was always the same response of we can’t do anything because it was private property. I remind you that the new dorm is built now. So, this new code seems to be a step towards helping the taxpayers and neighbors deal with the problem locations. As stated, “To protect the safety of students from overcrowding situations and to mitigate any negative impacts such uses may have on the surrounding neighborhoods”. It appears to be a policy headed in the right direction. Only time will tell.
