Columbia neighborhoods create group to address student housing concerns

Leaders representing eight downtown Columbia neighborhoods are working together to press the city and USC over concerns about student housing.

The newly formed group met April 7 to talk about a growing student population that, according to neighborhood leaders, is increasingly spilling into Columbia’s neighborhoods. Students too often bring loud, large, late-night parties, trash, too many students per house and too many cars on neighborhood streets. More students also means more houses converting to lucrative rentals, changing the neighborhoods’ character, they said.

The city and USC need to do more to police the students, they said. 

“With nine or 10 neighborhoods instead of one, we’ve got a lot louder voice to go to the people that we think we need to go to,” said Jim Daniels, president of the Wheeler Hill Neighborhood Association.

Columbia’s downtown neighborhoods have collaborated previously. Daniel brought the leaders together for this meeting and hopes to add more, he said. 

The neighborhood leaders claim the “three unrelated” ordinance that the city touts as progress is often violated by developers and landlords. The ordinance prohibits more than three unrelated people from living in a single residence. Student housing complexes are not affected by this rule. 

“We had a new property in Wheeler Hill … a five bedroom by a builder,” Daniel said. “Started in September. We started letting the city know there was an issue. They finally sent somebody by. The tenants pulled out a lease. It said there was only three there. So they said, ‘Fine.’” 

Charles Dibble, representing the University Hill neighborhood that’s closest to campus, said Columbia’s Code Enforcement Division often fails to enforce ordinances.  

Of 216 total codes cases in some neighborhoods surrounding USC, 64 were found to be guilty of violating a code or multiple codes, according to 2024 data provided to the Carolina News & Reporter from the Code Enforcement Division. The data made no mention of the “three unrelated” ordinance.

Meanwhile, Columbia’s Planning Commission recently recommended City Council adopt a zoning ordinance that prohibits private dormitories – student apartment complexes – from having more than four bedrooms per unit. Several of the neighborhood leaders oppose it. They want more students living in those complexes to keep them out of their neighborhoods.  

The neighborhood leaders told the Carolina News & Reporter they want to make it clear that their problem isn’t with the students but with the adverse effects that some students bring. They said they opposed the city’s original version of the proposed ordinance, which would have banned student dormitories in all but a few areas downtown to allow space for non-student apartments to be built. 

“We would prefer to see (City Council) continue (to allow) private dorms because, one, you get (students) all in one location,” Daniel said. “They have parking. And this gets them out of our neighborhood.” 

Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the proposed ordinance is intended to allow the easy conversion of student apartments into apartments for any demographic, should students no longer live there. More than four bedrooms per unit would make that conversion difficult, he said.  

Neighborhood leaders said they are frustrated by a lack of communication from USC and the city. Bambi Gaddist, representing the MLK and Lower Waverly neighborhoods, said residents are not sufficiently notified, for example, about city meetings about something happening in their neighborhood. 

“We always find out late,” she said. “By the time we find out as a community, there’s a sign in a lot, it’ll say there’s a meeting in zoning at said time and said place. It’s usually during the middle of the day when people … are working.” 

Columbia spokesperson Justin Stevens provided a statement from planning services to the Carolina News & Reporter. 

“We send the draft agenda for each of our boards and commissions, including (the) Planning Commission, two weeks in advance of the meeting so that citizens can be aware of cases pending. Since this is right after the application date, nothing is linked, but interested parties can call or e-mail for additional information. The final agenda is then distributed the Friday before the Thursday meeting with the case summary packets and supporting information linked. The agenda lists a specific e-mail that citizens can use to submit their comments in advance of the meeting and then public comment is solicited for each case at the meeting.” 

Dibble said USC and its development foundation don’t listen to their concerns. They often pass him back and forth, with no resolution to a complaint or question, he said. 

“USC enjoys a strong relationship with the City of Columbia,” according to a provided statement from internal communications manager Collyn Taylor.  “USC’s Office of Off-Campus Housing and Neighborhood relations not only helps students find off-campus housing but also communicates with surrounding areas about events that could impact community members in those neighborhoods. The university has met with any and all neighborhood groups who have sought to work collaboratively in the mutual interest of students and city residents.”