Destiny Harris is a freshman that chose to live off campus her freshman year.

She decided to live off campus because of a friend and enjoys the quieter environment.

“My freshman and sophomore year for sure off campus, I’m considering being a CA or RA eventually though,” Harris said.

For Harris, living off campus is also less expensive than living in a residence hall. Not only that, she said she enjoys the freedom and the fact it is cheaper.

However, because Harris lives in an apartment that is not affiliated with Iowa State University Housing, she does not get the benefits of IRHA, the Inter-residence Hall Association.

IRHA is a student group on campus serving the students in the residence halls on campus.

IRHA funds student residence hall events, hosts events for residence hall students and also acts as a voice between students, the Department of Residence and ISU Dining. The organization does this in order to allow for a community feel within the residence halls.

Students who live in apartments off campus that serve as student housing do not receive the “perks” that on-campus student-housing students would receive.

IRHA holds parliament meetings that decide different events that IRHA will help fund that allows for residence hall student benefits. At these parliament meetings, members are able to represent their houses and their peers.

However, off-campus housing for students who were unable to live in residence halls are do not have a voice within IRHA.

Students that do not live on campus their freshman year are also unable to receive the meal plan benefits that students in residence halls receive, such as the easier access to the dining centers.

“It is kind of difficult being a freshman off campus, you don’t really get the routine people have living on campus,” said Harris.

With residence halls being overcrowded and students renewing their contracts, some Freshman are unable to get a spot within student housing and do not have the choice of living in a residence hall.

Some residence halls, such as Willow Hall on Osborn Drive, even still have students living in the dens that are supposed to be used for study space.

To help eliminate the overcrowding, Fredrickson Court, along with Marcopia, both ISU affiliated apartment complexes, have designated certain apartments to go to residence hall students that were unable to be located in on campus student housing.

These apartments that are serving as student housing still have an advisor on the floor, but residence hall rules, such as quiet hours, are no longer used.

Students do not have the community nor do they have the open door policy that most residence halls have as well.

With the continuing influx of students, the consideration of new housing has been addressed, but currently there are no further plans of developing new residence halls.