BY CAMERON McWHIRTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When college students think of where to live, they usually envision dorms, fraternities or sororities.
They don't think of a housing project.
The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) wants to change that thinking.
This week CMHA launched an ad campaign geared to lure college students to its public housing.
It's a bold departure for the nation's 17th largest housing authority, whose traditional customers have been working-class poor.
"We're apartment rental people, that's what we're about," said Sherry English, CMHA spokeswoman. "College students, that's a real untapped market for us."
In recent years, federal budget cuts and policy changes have forced the authority to reduce its housing numbers, diversify its population and depend more on its renters to pay its bills.
CMHA hopes bringing in college students, whose rent would be about 30 percent of their income, would help fill vacant units and diversify their neighborhoods. Meanwhile, students can save money.
Advertisements have already begun on music radio stations in the city, and the authority plans to distribute flyers on area campuses including the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and Cincinnati State.
Tens of thousands of college students attend school in Greater Cincinnati, and CMHA hopes some of the cash-strapped students will take a look at their properties.
"For students, after tuition your biggest expense is going to be rent," Ms. English said. "We can help."
Ms. English said the campaign has just begun so she had no numbers on any response from students.
She said the agency also has launched a new program to streamline the application process, shortening it from weeks to as little as five days.
She said the authority's overall occupancy rate is high, at more than 94 percent, but some housing developments have too many vacancies.
She said CMHA hoped to house students in Winton Terrace, English Woods and other larger projects.
Winton Terrace and English Woods have a reputation as high crime areas, but she said the authority was working to improve safety. The crime rates in the area, and in all CMHA properties have been dropping in recent years.
