One thing has increased consistently in Oxford: rent prices.
According to a July 2024 survey from Rent Cafe, more than a third of the apartments in Oxford charge more than $2,000 in rent per month, with the average being $1,834 per month. The bulk of the remaining apartments charge anywhere between $700 and $1,500 per month.
For many Oxford residents, this is cause for concern; however, there is not a general consensus on what the root of the problem is.
Resident perspectives on rent increase
Before purchasing a house in Oxford, Army veteran Mike Watkins was homeless on and off for 10 years.
“When I moved to Oxford, I was helped out through a program that helps veterans get on their feet, so I came from being homeless to getting an apartment,” Watkins said. “Eventually, I got married, had two kids, and I bought a house right before COVID.”
While he has grown to love Oxford, Watkins expressed concern that stories like his are becoming more rare as housing costs increase — pointing to the influx of students as a contributing factor.
According to a study conducted by the UM Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning, the student population at the University of Mississippi has grown from 11,405 to more than 24,000 between 2000 and 2024.
“The problem that we run into is that the students can generally afford more than the residents can between school loans, parents, Pell Grants and things like that,” Watkins said. “Housing is a big issue for students. It’s one of the major costs that you’ve got to deal with. They tend to pay more for it than a family with mouths to feed would, so some of the working class people are kind of being priced out.”
Jacqueline Cissom originally moved to Oxford eight years ago to go back to school and finish her degree. Now a New Albany, Miss., resident, she is one of the people who have been “priced out.”
“In 2016, my rent was $400 a month in a very nice condo, and rent in 2020 was $425 a month. I moved into a three-bedroom house for $1,050 including cable and water, and then another leasing company took over and (rent) immediately went up $100 per month. This year to renew it went up another $250, and new renters are paying $1,500 a month,” Cissom said.
“My roommate and I shared the cost, but the increase put us at $675 each in an old house that had unattended maintenance issues, craters in the pavement on the driveway, sketchy neighbors and 23 pages of restrictions in the new lease.”
While Watkins pointed to the influx of students, Cissom said out-of-state residents and the city government may be the crux of the problem. The total population of non-student residents in Oxford has increased from approximately 11,800 residents in 2000 to 27,509 in 2024, according to the World Population Review.
“I started looking for another place last year, and suddenly every rental property had gone up on its price, so I decided to move back to New Albany and just drive to work (in Oxford),” Cissom said. “Working-class people and local people can’t afford the cost of living, eating and shopping in Oxford, and it’s sickening that out-of-state residents have spurred the greed that is taking place, and the government officials seem very supportive of it.”
John Russell, who owns 15 units of rental properties on South Lamar, College Hill, North Lamar and Old Sardis Road, discussed the housing issue from the perspective of a property owner.
Although he disagrees with Cissom’s contention that the city perpetuates the housing problem, he said the influx of students plays a role.
“The reason things are not affordable is not the city. The city’s job is not to build houses and become a landlord, so people need to take the city out of it. Part of what’s causing the housing crunch is that the university keeps raising how many students they’re bringing in every year,” Russell said. “If we raise our freshman class by 750 kids, we’re going to need another 300 three-bedroom houses for them to move into next year that we don’t have, so the rent is going to go up again next year.”
Russell also said that people need to keep in mind the costs that landlords face. For properties without the presence of the owner, such as rental properties, owners must pay 15% of its market value in property taxes, according to the Cissell Property Management Group in Oxford.
“I own about 15 units of rental property in Oxford, and people need to understand the economics behind owning a property and what stuff costs now. In most of the condos and places where people want to live, the taxes are between $3,000 and $5,000 a year, and with insurance and HOA fees, it just costs a lot of money to own these properties in Oxford.”
City and university perspectives
Deputy Director of the Oxford Housing Authority Teasha Sanders affirmed Watkins and Russell’s assumption that the university is a contributing factor to the housing issue.
“The University of Mississippi is a contributing factor to the lack of affordability in our local housing market,” Sanders said. “Ole Miss is part of the charm and cultural vitality that Oxford is known for, and the university brings so much to our local community, but with all the good there are also some issues.”
Sanders commented on the problems non-students encounter in finding affordable housing.
“Many housing complexes and rentals in Oxford cater to college students and rent by the bedroom,” Sanders said. “This leads to inflated prices that make it difficult for families looking for affordable housing options. Along with the issue of inflated prices, there is also the issue of increased demand. Students and others are drawn to this area, and with already limited housing options, the problem of affordability increases.”
This year, the university leased 130 furnished bed spaces at the Lark Oxford complex and 65 bed spaces at Gather Oxford Apartments beginning in August 2024. This comes as the latest in a string of efforts by the university to provide enough student housing for historic enrollment numbers.
Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations for the university, responded to Sanders’ statements.
“We recognize that the university’s growth and success draw more people to Oxford, which, along with other factors, contributes to the current housing demand,” Batte said. “We hope that over time the various factors driving prices will balance out, benefiting both our students and local residents. University leaders are committed to continue working toward solutions with city and county leaders to assess the impacts of our growth on the community, helping us preserve the special character of Oxford and Ole Miss that appeals to so many.”
The Daily Mississippian reached out to the university and the city of Oxford to clarify what the two parties are doing in collaboration to solve the housing problems. At the time of publication, neither party had responded.
Student perspectives
Students shared their views on the issue.
Cooper Sugden, a senior accounting major from Princeton, N.J., lives in a house off of Jackson Avenue and is not worried about the impact of student housing on Oxford residents.
“No, it doesn’t bother me. Students need a place to live, too,” Sugden said
Claire Medley, a sophomore integrated marketing communications major from Carmel, Ind., currently lives in the Pi Beta Phi sorority house and is searching for a housing lease for next year. She understands the concerns of Oxford residents, but she wants to attend graduate school here and realizes that she also needs housing.
“I feel like they’re trying to (build) big apartment complexes to fit all the students instead of residents. I wouldn’t want to live in an apartment if I had a family. They’re taking away the land that could be used as a housing development,” Medley said.
Caroline Dykes, a senior accounting major from Murfreesboro Tenn., who lives in a house near the square on 18th Street, is not disturbed by the housing pressures on Oxford residents.
“I’ve never thought about it. … Students need a place to live, too. … They’re letting in so many students, and they need a place to live,” Dykes said.
Development of affordable housing
As far as the city’s role, Sanders said the local government is making efforts to develop more affordable housing.
“Mayor Tannehill and the board of aldermen have taken proactive steps to address the affordable housing issues in Oxford by establishing an Affordable Housing Commission,” Sanders said. “The Affordable Housing Commission is currently developing and advocating for policies that address the need for additional affordable housing.”
Residents applying for affordable housing said the process takes a long time.
Oxford native Kayla Hilliard has been on the waiting list for housing for two years.
“Growing up, we really didn’t have a lot of money, but I always tried to work hard to make sure I had my own (money),” Hilliard said. “I got pregnant and needed to find an apartment or house, and to this day, I’m on the waiting list for Section 8 housing.”
The Section 8 program, funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides rent subsidies to private landlords on behalf of low-income families.
Sanders explained what causes the backup in allocation of affordable housing.
“The limited availability of affordable and low-income housing is the cause of extensive waiting lists,” Sanders said. “Limited supply is a major issue that leads to applicants remaining on waiting lists for years, and the lack of affordable and low-income housing options means that once individuals secure housing, they are reluctant to give it up, even if their circumstances improve. This creates a problem for new applicants who will face longer waiting periods.”
Sanders said her department oversees 212 public housing units across four complexes in Oxford.
The LOU-HOME Project, a non-profit organization, is attempting to provide affordable housing opportunities in Oxford by working with developers in Lafayette County to provide two communities in Oxford: Belle Rivers and Eastover & Owens Place.
These homes will be available in 2034 and will be sold at an affordable price to residents who make 60% below the average Oxford income.
Hilliard, as well as other residents, said that increased housing costs add to the total cost of living in Oxford.
“My husband and I both work two jobs now, and sometimes we don’t have enough money to last us until the next paycheck. It’s not just housing difficulties. It’s pretty much everything in Oxford.”
Watkins reflected on Oxford’s growth over the years.
“Oxford is a great town, and growth versus holding onto what made the town lovable to begin with is a balancing act — but you can’t forget about the people who were raised here and who work here,” Watkins said “If they stop looking out for the people who make the wheels move, then this town’s not going to have much left but a whole bunch of investment properties with nobody to run it.”
