Main Line Residents Fighting To Keep Restrictions On Off-Campus Housing: Report

Residents along the Main Line, West Chester and other communities adjacent to college campuses are railing against a bill in Harrisburg that would remove local restraints on student housing, according to a report on Philly.com.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Sue Helm (R., Dauphin) and supported by landlords, would, among other things, eliminate limits on the number of unrelated people allowing to live in the same house or apartment, as well as prohibit rental discrimination against students in general.

Currently in Upper Merion Township, only two unrelated people can live together, according to the report. In Lower Merion, Haverford and Tredyffrin, that number is three.

In addition, off-campus rentals in Lower Merion cannot house students unless they are 1,000 feet away from any other student residence.

According to Philly.com, there are more than 50,000 undergraduates attending colleges in Philadelphia’s largely affluent suburbs, and tensions between locals and students has been an issue dating back decades.

Helm, who reportedly attended a public hearing on the bill last week in West Chester, has indicated she will revisit the proposal in response to resident concerns.

Read the full report at Philly.com.