COUNTERPOINT: In wake of transportation policy change, the University should offer employees housing

In June, the University revoked its monthly $30 stipend to employees who purchase transit passes. To compensate for the subsidy cut, USC is offering three free parking passes per month for the University Park Campus only. In the absence of a concrete transit support system, the University should instead give all employees the option to rent out housing units owned by the University.

This new development comes at a time when the University is facing massive construction projects, including the establishment of the new University Village. Because of this, the administration claims there is no longer a budget for transit subsidies, though with USC’s $4 billion-plus endowment, it’s skeptical that the school cannot reallocate funds to better support its employees. But maybe this comes with a silver lining and allows University officials to reevaluate their methods of assistance.

It’s obvious that neither the former program nor the current parking allowance is conducive to the USC employee lifestyle. The monthly stipend didn’t even cover half of the cost of the transit pass, which comes with a $100 price tag. The supplement of parking passes are also futile, as many people rely on the Metro system to get to work. Moreover, for those who do have access to a car, the allowance to park three times in a campus parking garage is a mere drop in the ocean in the face of other transportation fees, such as gas and car maintenance. As the largest private employer in Los Angeles, USC must extend its housing assistance program to beyond the representation of just faculty and staff.

Currently, Los Angeles serves as one of the most unaffordable urban areas in the United States. Since 2012, housing prices in the city have risen 27 percent, a figure due to grow even larger as a result of high demand for property and gentrification. Though USC does acknowledge this housing crisis, the University directs this attention to select personnel of academia and not the housing and hospitality staff.

In March, KQED News followed a day in the life of a Stanford University dining employee, whose cumulative travel time to and from work took six hours. This situation is hardly unique to the Palo Alto area and applies to USC directly. All employees of USC could benefit from housing services by placing them in areas close to campus. Having a free, real estate match program for USC employees explores feasible options for their budgets. These are resources that need to be available to everyone.

With the advent of University Village, another approach the University could take is to transform an off-campus student apartment building into an affordable housing option for USC employees only. As more attractive residential listings are made available for the student population, certain areas might be neglected and are better served as potential housing opportunities for people who actually need them.

Ultimately, students should see USC employees as education partners contributing to the overall community. With employees’ monthly transit budget already slashed, it’s time we take a more immersive approach to help the people who have supported the students for so long.

Danni Wang is a junior majoring in psychology. She is also the lifestyle editor of the Daily Trojan. “Point/Counterpoint” runs Mondays.