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How Common is providing housing for displaced college students during the COVID-19 outbreak

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For many college students across the country, campus was a safe haven. Food, housing, and community were all easily accessible no matter what their home lives looked like. In light of the uncertain times COVID-19 has created around the world, many students are now forced to transition to taking all classes online and for many, to leave their dorms and campus. Here’s how Common is providing housing options for these displaced college students.college student housingA recent article from NPR eloquently framed the broader issue of this turn of events:

Every day, more colleges and universities are canceling in-person classes due to the threat…a growing number have asked students to pack up and leave campus indefinitely. That presents a problem for the significant fraction of students who depend on their school for basic needs — food, housing, financial aid, health insurance and on-campus jobs.”

Common has a unique ability to offer temporary housing options for students looking for a safe option to live. While we are not suggesting that we can completely solve this issue, our goal is to make Common’s housing options as accessible as possible for students who now find themselves without a home in the markets we operate in. We currently have homes in 7 urban centers across the US: NYC, Philadelphia, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.college student housing

How is Common providing housing for displaced college students? Here’s a look at how we are changing our leasing process to help students find housing during these hectic times:

  • Free security deposit insurance:

During these uncertain times you need to have as much cash on hand as possible. All new members who join Common before July 1st will no longer have to put down a security deposit.

  • Flexible lease terms (as short as 2 months)

We know it can be hard to commit to a renting decision during this time. For the first time ever, Common will offer 2-month lease terms for certain homes

  • A $100 Amazon gift card after signing a lease to help pay for any extra supplies they need during this transition

Common is offering a $100 Amazon gift card to any student who signs a lease with their .edu email addresscollege student housingSome students are even struggling to meet the needs of their online class requirements without the proper access to Wi-Fi at home. We’re able to ease this anxiety as well through our housing options! All of our coliving homes include utilities, Wi-Fi, shared goods (such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies), and furnished spaces in the monthly rent, which alleviates extra stresses for anyone living at a Common home, especially displaced college students. In addition, we are encouraging everyone applying for a lease to take virtual tours and file digital applications of our spaces to minimize any risk of exposure and help protect our leasing staff. 

If you or anyone you know was recently displaced from their student housing, please head over to our site to take a look at our current offerings and book a virtual tour! For additional information on our COVID-19 efforts, read about how Common creating temporary housing options for NYC’s health workers. If you have any specific questions for our team, please feel free to reach us directly at hello@common.com

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