Members of the University Heights community met last night to discuss mounting problems in the South Campus-area housing development and ways for the community to solve them.
The third annual University Community Initiative-Regional Community Policing Center Community Forum drew about 20 members of the Heights community and two representatives from Group Legal Services; however, no students or student representatives participated in the meeting.
Despite the low student turnout, the group identified several problems plaguing the Heights area, such as rowdy student parties, improper upkeep of homes, litter in the streets and the use of indoor furniture, such as couches, on students' porches and absentee landlords.
"It was a beautiful community at one time," Reynold Venneman, a longtime resident of Winspear Avenue said. "They shouldn't have any (absentee landlords); they didn't have them in my time."
Among the issues that could be attributed to absentee landlords were the dilapidated conditions of the houses rented by students, which bring down the property value of the entire area.
Peggy Searcy, who owns a home on Englewood Avenue, said part of the problem is that students rent a house for a year and do not maintain it, causing the landlord make small repairs instead of larger ones, which would improve the house's overall appearance.
House maintenance, said Searcy, is the responsibility of both the homeowners and the students.
"For every time (students) move out, there's a little more damage done," Searcy said. "There's too much damage done by UB students."
The forum, which was moderated by Pamela Beal from the UCI-RCPC, broke up into small groups of five or six to discuss specific problem areas in the Heights.
Many of the issues discussed came down to collaborations between residents of the Heights, students, UB, the Buffalo Police Department and concerned community members.
The group suggested neighborhood watch programs or community block clubs to combat crime, saying that part of the problem in the Heights is that residents do not take the time to get to know their neighbors, resulting in less surveillance of neighboring property for suspicious persons.
Other suggestions included a UB stamp of approval for good landlords to fight problems with "slumlords" and strict enforcement of housing codes to battle homeowners who allow houses to deteriorate.
Residents also recommended higher rent for people who litter or keep "house furniture" on their porch, in an effort to take care of trash lining the streets of the Heights.
"House furniture belongs in the house," said Searcy, who cited an initiative in place at Syracuse University, which prohibits the use of anything but lawn furniture on porches.
Beal proposed ideas such as a "Landlord of the Year" or a "Landlord of Shame" award in an effort to encourage landlords to keep their properties in better condition.
According to Beal, facilitating discussions between students and community members might be the answer to many of the residents' concerns.
"I'd like to do what the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons do," Beal said, chuckling. "We'll go out two by two."
Beal said the group addressed student, resident and property owner apathy, but the perceived problems are caused by a very limited number of people.
"Ten percent of the population of any group that are causing 60 percent of the problems," she said. "It's true of students, it's true of landlords, and it's possibly true in your own home."
Change will occur when all residents start working together to make the Heights a better place, said Beal.
"There are people in this university who give a d--n, there are residents who give a d--n," she said. "I'll swear to it."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
