STUDENTS TO MEET TUESDAY OVER RENTAL HOUSING ISSUE

A group of Southeast Missouri State University students is forming an organization to address rental housing concerns.

The group is called Students for Fair Housing Standards. It will hold its first meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the University Center.

Students interested in housing and landlord concerns in the Cape Girardeau area are encouraged to attend, said Fred Mashburn, one of the organizers of the group.

Mashburn said the group likely will start with about 10 or 11 members.

"For too long, housing has been a primary concern of Southeast students and nothing has been done," he said.

"Hopefully, this organization will give meaningful discussion to an important issue facing hundreds of students in Cape Girardeau," Mashburn said.

Mashburn, who is scheduled to graduate next December, has been living off campus for about two years.

Mashburn lives in an apartment. "I ended up with a landlord I like," he said Friday.

But he said he has heard from other students who have had bad experiences with rental housing in the city.

"A lot of places, landlords don't exactly play fair," he said.

The city has minimum housing standards, but many students aren't aware of the regulations, said Mashburn.

Students often aren't aware of minimum safety standards or tenant rights.

Mashburn said some rental housing is in poor shape. There are safety concerns in rental units, such as poor electric hookups.

Mashburn said students also need to be informed of their responsibilities as tenants. "We are not here for landlord bashing," he said.