<p>ALL dorms will be over $10,000 next year. They say it's projected, but highly unlikely the numbers will change significantly or at all.</p>
<p>It seems like there is so much focus on tuition rising that not much is being done about housing costs-now about 2x of tuition.</p>
<p>For those who didn't know, Berkeley has the most expensive dorms in the nation (note that most expensive =/= nicest ones, however).</p>
<p>So the answer I want to know is, is inflation really that bad, or if Cal Housing price gouging.. I understand that there is a high cost of living in the Bay Area (I grew up in the Bay Area), but for dorms to need to cost so much is hard to believe.</p>
<p>Yes, students have a choice to choose to live in the dorms or not, but for most incoming students they will definitely prefer to have the traditional "freshmen experience" unless money is a real problem.</p>
<p>just off the top of my head, it doesn't make much sense, when you hear that maintenance and janitorial employees don't make much money you wonder,...well where's all the money going?
There's no way in hell we should be paying 1000 a month for living in a hamster cage without a kitchen or our own bathroom, despite food and security (and at bowles that security is minimal) it's crap. We're paying a crap load of money,...for not a whole lot.
For rooms as big as most people get they should be paying something like 400 a month, with food and utilities not more than 600, plus you don't even get the freedom that you would get if you lived on your own. I can't see why its this expensive.</p>
<p>dorms prices are way too high, but it does provide a way for you get to know people, especially when you are freshmen. That's like the only plus side.</p>
<p>Where's the money going? To a great extent, the university is making a huge profit, and the housing prices around campus are to a great extent elevated by the high prices for the dorms. Call and complain, and get your parents to do the same. Tell the university that you know they are keeping prices high for ridiculous reasons, like the Parking Replacement Policy. Demand that the university justify the level of costs to you. Really, from their perspective, they are receiving a much larger demand than the current supply of rooms, so that rates are going upward makes sense, as the university is receiving less and less money from the state. Housing is one of their best quick sources of income.</p>
<p>For those who are geniunely concerned, you can find groups and organizations that are trying to change things. Some people, like CalX, will say it's not a problem because students can find cheap alternatives like the co-ops or living with roommates. I don't think that's sufficient.</p>