Voices From Tempe Students:
Behind the numbers are the students navigating this market in real time. Many say rent determines everything: where they live, how many roommates they can tolerate, how many hours they must work, and how safe they feel at home.
Liza's Journey
​
Liza Nagy, an ASU international student from Hungary, lives in the Greenhouse Apartments, a low-rise complex constructed in 1969 when the Tempe campus was mostly a commuter school for students from the Phoenix area. In contrast to the crowded student towers that currently encircle campus, the area was low-density and residential at the time, with large open lots, carports, and modest midcentury buildings, according to archived aerial layers from the Maricopa County Assessor's maps. “I came to Tempe to focus on my studies,” Nagy said. “I work hard at school, but I still feel invisible. It makes me question whether Tempe is really the right place for me to build my future.”
Elisa's Story
Elisa Choi, an ASU junior living in an off-campus apartment in Tempe, across the street from campus, said she understands why so many students are stressed out about finding affordable housing.“It’s hard to find a good bang for your buck that is also safe and clean,” said Choi, who has paid over $1,500 a month for a four-bedroom apartment she shares with roommates. “It’s insane and unattainable for the average student. Tempe is not worth that much money.”
​
Podcast with Elisa Choi, a Junior at Arizona State
Halle's Experience
​
Halle Burt, a junior who pays her rent on her own, while many other students rely on their parents for housing costs, said she has overworked herself trying to keep up with prices. She said there is no middle ground anymore and Tempe is missing apartments that fall between luxury and rundown.
“Some days I feel like I’m living two lives: a full-time student and a full-time worker,” Burt said. “Yet neither one is enough to keep a roof over my head; it’s exhausting.”
Video and interview with Halle Burt, a junior at Arizona State University who lives off campus