We, the students of Case Western Reserve University, urge the CWRU administration and President Eric Kaler to reconsider the decision to not guarantee upperclass housing. We ask that they work with the student body to find a more responsible, equitable, and sustainable solution that accommodates current CWRU students seeking housing and prioritizes current students over the desire to increase university enrollment past its carrying capacity. 

The university, in sharing the most recent update on guaranteed housing, has demonstrated its priority as accepting new students rather than maintaining the quality of undergraduate experience that its current students came to CWRU expecting. By breaking CWRU’s policy of guaranteed four year housing, CWRU’s administration has effectively let down all its current students.

This housing situation is a symptom of the university's plan to increase enrollment despite University resources already being stretched thin, leaving many current students to feel left out. Arguably the most impacted by this decision are students receiving financial aid and international students. In addition to the mental stress needing off-campus housing will create, there are a multitude of challenges for all students such as;

• Increased distance from classes and other university resources,
• Lack of the presence of a student community in their accommodations,
• Increased cost of travel to campus as well as bearing the cost of furnishing off-campus housing,
• Living in areas that lack diversity or the safety provided by on campus housing,
• Living in areas with increased tension between students and local community members,
• Requiring good credit histories, rental history, or even a social security number (in case of international students and visa holders) that many college students lack, 

To name a few. This situation shows an immense disrespect for the current student body, and we encourage you to sign your name on if you agree and want the university to commit to supporting its existing students seeking housing at this time!