Binghamton City Council voted to further review three proposals designed to temporarily suspend student housing development in the city.
Rev. Scott Parnell, of Christ Episcopal Church in Binghamton, presented a temporary 12-month moratorium to City Council during the June 1 work session. The moratorium would target dormitory-style private developments, shared housing, group residences or multi-family development with high bedroom-to-unit ratios.
“The influx of owner-designated student housing has pushed rent up and people out, that is out of their home, not out of our city,” Parnell said.
Parnell’s presentation follows a community conversation held at the Broome County Public Library on May 13 in light of the beating death of Peter Bennedum, an unhoused man living in Binghamton.
At that meeting, Binghamton City Councilwoman Rebecca Rathmell introduced 2017-2024 data outlining a lack of affordable housing and oversaturation of student housing in the area.
The 2022-2024 data from the Broome County DSS Homeless Services Outcome 2024 report documented 2,463 residents in Binghamton including individuals and families who utilized emergency shelter services and 2,781 units of off-campus developments having been created since 2012.
According to 2024 HUD Income Data, within the City of Binghamton there are 4,300 households that are considered extremely low-income renters.
Parnell presented City Council with three actionable proposals:
“My hope and dream is that all people have access to adequate and safe housing,” Parnell said. The continuation of student housing development, he said, leans towards an “indulgence, rather than a public good.”
Parnell also touched on the number of youth who experience homelessness or are in a shared living situation. According to the data collected by Parnell and the Coalition of Congregations in Binghamton during the 2023-24 school year, 924 students experienced homelessness in the city.
Experiencing housing instability at a young age can create a pipeline to adult homelessness, Parnell said, and he urged Council members to take action.
“This problem is just going to get worse,” Parnell said, “which is frightfully terrifying.”
All six City Council members who were present voted to move the proposed legislation to the planning committee to review the three actionable proposals.
Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at KCGrant@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton City Council will explore pausing student housing
Reporting by Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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By Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin | USA TODAY Network
