Co-op residents face deteriorating homes and rising rents

Since the Cornell housing guarantee ended after his sophomore year, Allan Chu ’26 was faced with the challenge of finding affordable off-campus housing. After exploring a number of options, he discovered that co-op housing offered a cost-effective solution.

“Financially (living in a co-op) is a lot cheaper. I remember my first year, the triple cost was about $5,000,” said Chu, president of RedBud Cooperative.

However, co-op leaders told The Sun that university officials have not provided enough support to maintain this housing option. Residents say roofs have collapsed and floors have collapsed in abandoned buildings, and the co-op program has seen little growth.